Amadou Onana misses Everton draw v Brighton due to calf injury – Sean Dyche
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana was absent from the club’s 1-1 draw with Brighton after suffering a calf injury, Sean Dyche has confirmed.
The Toffees had won five of seven heading into the game at Goodison Park, but the Belgian was left out of the squad entirely for the game to the shock of many fans with Idrissa Gueye coming into the side to replace him.
And boss Dyche confirmed before the game that the 21-year-old has been carrying the injury for a while and it’s now become too much for him after such a short turnaround between games.
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“Amadou, unfortunately, has been playing with a really tight calf and it’s just been too much for him after Wednesday,” Dyche confirmed (4 November).
Blow
Onana has found a home for himself in the centre of midfield for Everton with that slightly deeper role, where James Garner and he balance the task of pushing forward and providing a steady base.
We saw how much his absence could cost us against Brighton as Gueye simply doesn’t have the mobility, power or technical quality of Onana which meant we couldn’t counter-attack as effectively, didn’t have a big midfield goal threat and also couldn’t keep possession well enough.
Onana has had to work his way back in Dyche’s plans and he’s now become a really key part of the team, so any prolonged absence would be a horror blow.
Andre Gomes and Dele Alli are already out with their own injuries, and with neither close to a comeback it could leave the Toffees short in midfield.
There’s no game for another seven days now so hopefully he will be able to recover before then, but if not we must find a solution to coping without him because Gueye isn’t the answer.
