Mirallas a doubt for Saints trip

, 11 August, 29comments  |  Jump to most recent

Gerard Deulofeu and Muhamed Besic could be passed fit for the visit to Southampton while Kevin Mirallas is being assessed this week for an ankle injury inflicted on him by Valon Behrami last Saturday.

Deulofeu and Besic both sustained hamstring strain during pre-season, with the Bosnian forced to pull out of the trip to Singapore after picking his injury in training early last month.

The Spaniard, meanwhile, pulled up in the Asia Trophy final against Arsenal and was eventually withdrawn. The club's medical staff were hopeful that he would recover before the season opener against Watford but this weekend seems more realistic.

“Gerard Deulofeu and Mo Besic are very close and it’s about getting them back to their best possible level," Roberto Martinez says on evertonfc.com. "Physically we need giving them that introduction but they are close to making the squad for the weekend.

"[W]e picked up a worrying knock on Kevin Mirallas. He’s got a bit of a swollen ankle but I’m quite positive in Kevin being fit, even though as it stands now we are going to check and assess him for the weekend.

"It was a very dangerous challenge and if you review the action, he was very fortunate to escape with no major injury.”

 

Reader Comments (29)

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Clive Rogers
3 Posted 11/08/2015 at 17:46:19
Personally I don't think it would be wise to pick both Deulofeu and Mirallas in the same team. They are very similar and more worryingly, neither of them are team players. If both are played together, I believe we would forfeit creativity and be overrun in midfield.
Dean Adams
5 Posted 11/08/2015 at 17:58:16
Clive
How can you seriously make comments like that. Mirallas had the most assists last season, which is not something that a selfish egotist would do, or are you saying that "not being team players" has some new revolutionary meaning?
Clive Rogers
6 Posted 11/08/2015 at 18:24:11
Dean,
That is my opinion. Right or wrong, time will tell.
Ian Jones
7 Posted 11/08/2015 at 18:37:07
Hi Dean and Clive. I think you are both right. Whilst the assists total seems good, he might have had more assists if he passed it to what might have been a better placed player to score. However he contributes goals as well. Suppose we can't have it both ways.
That's what I call sitting on the fence.

If both can be accommodated, it would be great, as would having someone stationed further up field to help Lukaku.

Malc Kitchen
8 Posted 11/08/2015 at 18:41:08
Clive, two seasons back when Jerry and Kev played left and right wing, we murdered teams. Remember Stoke at home 4-0? When both are fit that is the future.

We desperately need another striker, no.10 and C/B though!
Clive Rogers
9 Posted 11/08/2015 at 18:47:42
He scored 11 goals and made 3 assists last season. Over his career his assists are low. The Sevilla manager left Deulofeu out of the squad for the second half of last season because he wasn’t a team player. I don’t think RM will pick them both long term.
Ajay Gopal
10 Posted 11/08/2015 at 18:50:10
Good or bad, I think this will force Martinez’ hand to play 4-4-2 with Lukaku and Kone up front. Our injury list this early in the season is frightening:

Pienaar
Mirallas
Hibbert
McGeady
Gibson
Besic (?)
Deulofeu (?)
Baines

The team really picks itself:

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Stones Galloway
Cleverly McCarthy Barry Barkley
Kone Lukaku

SUBS: Robles, Oviedo, Browning, Besic, Deulofeu, Osman, Naismith

Jim Bennings
11 Posted 11/08/2015 at 18:52:07
What's new?

Already two games in we are addled with injuries to key player's, no doubt Mirallas will go missing for a few weeks and if Deulofeu plays, and sprints, he'll pull up with yet another frustrating setback.

Clive Rogers
12 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:00:54
Malc,

Deulofeu only started 9 games that season.

Mike Powell
13 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:14:47
It goes from bad to worse. Without Mirallis we have no creative player and I cannot see were are goals will come from. I think we will get tonked.

Anyway our club is a joke, and that's not just to do with the injuries, the whole club is a joke.
James Stewart
14 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:15:51
No way we will go 442 away to Southampton. It was a red card on Mirallas and he was lucky not to break his leg. Watford got very lucky deeney should have walked too for the 2 footed one on jagielka. Besic back would make a difference
Raymond Fox
15 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:19:12
What's the point of keep waffling on about injuries as if it doesn't happen to the other Prem. teams.
For a start if the club would spend some decent money on new younger players instead of our squad being littered with shall we say 'very mature footballers'!
Gibson - always crocked
Pienaar and Hibbert - senility setting in
Baines - old injury, sounds worrying
Mirallas - bad tackle
Then we have the 3 with hamstrings, if its just fitness how come the remaining players are not suffering hamstrings at the same time?
John Paul McGurk
16 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:29:43
At this stage I hope there is 3 worse teams in the league. Im sorry but I cant help being depressed. IF we had our best 10 outfield players fit and on form we would be a match for anybody BUT cant see it. Maybe a miracle will happen between now and the end of the transfer window.
Howard
Seamy Stones Jags Baines
Barkley Jimmy
Gerry No 10 Kevin
Lukaku
Colin Williams
17 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:41:10
Dean...Mirallas most assists?... Where are those stats?... EPL statistics for us are:
Assists 2014/15 season
Baines -9
McGeady -3
Ross, Ossie, Barry, and Seamus had two each.
Andy Mack
18 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:50:16
Can see Kone twisting his knee in training before this weekend too. We have too many never-quite-fit players.
Stephen Brown
19 Posted 11/08/2015 at 19:51:27
Ajay#7 that’s a worrying looking side as there are no goals in it ! Hate to say it but relegation battle team.

Are the correct people seeing what we are all seeing?
Denis Richardson
20 Posted 11/08/2015 at 00:10:57
Only Tuesday, still a few days till S'ton so lets wait to see who's fit.

No point in bring up Gibson or Pienaar - neither has featured for the last 18 odd months. Besic, McGeady and Hibbert are not first teamers.

Only issues are with Baines, Mirallas and Deulofeu - still shit but we 'only' really have 3 injuries to be worried about. Baines is gone till Dec so may as well get used to it.

Would be harsh on Kone if he doesn't get a start after his goal but Martinez is fixated on 4231 so will see.

Craig Fletcher
21 Posted 12/08/2015 at 00:47:38
Stephen (16) you need to check out an Everton teamsheet from circa 2001-2002..... that would be more the definition of a relegation battle team.

Kone/Lukaku with Barkley playing behind.... there's goals there. I'm more worried about keeping them out at the other end.

Abhishek Saha
22 Posted 12/08/2015 at 02:28:39
Kevin is not a selfish player, in fact, I would rate him more selfless than most others. Deulofeu, yes, is selfish in patches, but it is quite apparent in his attitude that it is more due to the exuberance or constant thrill a youngster gets by trying to impress always. Having said that, Delboy is not a selfish player by any means.

I guess their playing styles and also the roles (winger) they play are more of the solo types and hence, often they can be misread as being selfish. Both of them have the ability and good at making those solo bursts down the wing, skipping past defenders, cutting inside etc. but such players can easily mistaken for as selfish players.

Matt Traynor
23 Posted 12/08/2015 at 03:15:09
Abhishek #19, I would disagree - Kevin is a selfish player. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing if the player has the skill or finishing to match - and he does. But there have been numerous times he has had a strike partner screaming for a pass, and he's gone alone.

To me, he's been a disappointment overall in his time here. Injuries have for sure played a part - and he's had fuck all protection off some of the excuses for referees the Premier League puts out. But he or his agent have been regular visitors to the "Rumour Mill" section through their various comments attributed to them.

When he signed I thought he'd use us as a stepping stone to a bigger CL club, unless we did something spectacular, so I fully expected him to go. His new contract takes him up to 30, so whilst he may still go, if he doesn't we'll have had him during his "best" years.

I hope he starts showing what we know he's capable of on a consistent basis. That'll only happen if the referees start giving him protection from some of the yard dog players the promoted and lower teams seem to favour.

Craig Fletcher
24 Posted 12/08/2015 at 03:58:06
Kev is the sort of player that divides opinion, but I think we are stronger with him than without. I disagree with you I'm sorry to say Matt (20) but I wouldn't call him a disappointment in the three years he's been here - not when you consider his goal / assist output relative to the transfer fee we paid for him (only 6m from memory?).

Last season especially he was our biggest goal threat; I know given how poor we were at times last season that may not be saying much. Even in Miralles' first year with us (Moyes' last) he was one of our stand-outs after Jelavic completely lost his goal-scoring ability.

Steven Jones
25 Posted 12/08/2015 at 11:09:54
That’s great news ... Besic, Gerri and Kev fit for Southampton ...

Creativity, pace and counter attack goal threats coming

Kev, Geri and Rom front 3 would be excellent to see ...

The season starts here.

Tony J Williams
26 Posted 12/08/2015 at 12:36:28
As said above, we are better with him in our side.

there's nothing wrong with being greedy, some other players should try it instead of the safety first pass it back to where it came from routine.

It's difficult to reconcile the word selfish with Del Boy, as my overriding memory of him was constantly trying to beat the right back to put the ball into the box. Not the actions of a greedy player, ala Mirallas, who would take on the defender then try and go at goal (again, not necessarily a bad thing...on occasion)

Two very good players who I am glad are here

Drew Shortis
28 Posted 12/08/2015 at 17:37:37
When everyone is fit I would go for a 4-1-2-2-1 with McCarthy as the defensive midfielder, Cleverley and Barkley in midfield, two wingers and Lukaku up front.

McCarthy should be adequate cover for the back four, no need for Barry as a starter. Cleverley (with Besic as backup and Gibson when fit) is a more progressive passer and Barkley can drive forward from deeper to support Lukaku.

We don’t need two defensive midfielders and we don’t seem to play well when we employ this system. The mad thing is we don’t look more defensively solid with two. Have McCarthy sitting deeper and make it his job to regain possession and move the ball wide or to Cleverley. Barkley and Cleverley should be given more freedom to get forward and support Lukaku. The wide men (Deulofeu and Mirallas) can either give us width or move inside to support Lukaku. Both are accomplished finishers.

Presuming we get in Lennon, a backup centre back and another striker to cover / challenge / partner Lukaku, I don’t think our squad looks too bad. I can’t see the fabled Number 10 arriving in this window so we should utilise what we have effectively and abandon the two DMs!

Don Alexander
29 Posted 13/08/2015 at 00:42:12
Lads and lasses, debate about who will or should be in our team mask the stark staring obvious problem that makes it all irrelevant. That problem is Martinez’s tactics. Cue the Einstein line about madness being doing the same thing over and over again expecting to get a different result.

But maybe he knows better. Yeah, right!
In EVERY month last season we won 50% or less of the points available, until April when at last we started to play the "old Everton", "more direct" way according to the likes of Bainesy and Rom, and guess what? We won all but three of the points available that month!

So against Watford Martinez bins what provably works in favour, again, of his failed tactics. He’s either a moron or intent on doing us in.
Helen Mallon
30 Posted 13/08/2015 at 05:34:00
Drew hear hear
Brian Furey
32 Posted 13/08/2015 at 12:11:45
I was delighted and surprised Mirallas stayed. He, like so many wingers/strikers, can be frustrating to watch but for me he’s got so much potential in that he’s got pace and can take a man on. Unlike McGeady and even Lennon, he often has a shot and so, if fit all season, would always score you 10+ goals. We don’t have many midfielders like that so I for one am delighted.

Now if Deulofeu can start scoring goals and be a bit more direct like Mirallas, I will be delighted. Too often for me when he was here before he beat two men, got into the box, and then no good cross or shot. If he’s inside and no obvious cross on then he has to shoot more.

I didn’t see any of our game last weekend but the big question for me at start of the season was... Will RM go back to the crab shite slow buildup play or will he have learnt to get it forward quicker, even if you lose the ball? How we can concede 2 goals to a newly promoted team with 2 DMs I just don't know. I know it's very mean to say but I hope Barry gets injured and so the decision is taken out of RM’s hands.

Paul Cherrington
33 Posted 13/08/2015 at 13:20:57
Mirallas should be employed as a striker which is where he was playing when we brought him. His pace and finishing would be even more effective up top with Rom or even on his own & his selfishness would actually become an asset there.
Ernie Baywood
34 Posted 13/08/2015 at 14:23:55
I would have liked to have seen a few more 'selfish' players during my time watching the blues. We seem to have been a home for good characters who are easy to like.

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