The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland has shared a fresh injury update regarding Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby.
The Lowdown: Doucoure’s injury
During the Toffees’ second game of the Premier League season in which Frank Lampard’s side saw defeat to Aston Villa, the 29-year-old Mali international was forced off the pitch in the first half after sustaining a hamstring injury.
With the Blues boss initially hoping that the extent of the injury was not that serious, the midfielder is yet to feature in Everton’s match-day squad since the incident, having missed their previous three league games.
The Latest: Boyland’s update
With Everton preparing for Saturday’s Merseyside derby against Liverpool, Boyland has now shared an update regarding Doucoure’s injury, revealing a positive boost for the Toffees.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, the reliable journalist claimed:
“Doucoure trained today for first time since injury but too early to be involved tomorrow.”
The Verdict: Great news
When looking at his underlying stats, the Malian’s importance for Lampard’s side is illustrated far more than one would initially assume.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Doucoure ranks in the 86th percentile for pressures and in the 81st percentile for tackles made.
In the Premier League last season, the 29-year-old averaged 2.5 tackles, 1.1 shots and 0.9 interceptions per game – demonstrating a wide skill-set in the middle of the park for Everton.
Having made 190 appearances in the English top-flight, Doucoure will also be an influential figure who can help new signing Amadou Onana, who is only 20 years old. With his wealth of experience, he will be able to help the youngster to adapt to life in the highly physical Premier League, and the sooner the duo can start together the better.
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