Djibril Sidibe could make only his second Everton appearance when the Toffees face Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The French right-back joined Marco Silva’s Merseyside outfit on an initial one-season loan deal this summer, and made his Blues debut as part of the side which beat Lincoln City in the previous round of the EFL Cup (TransferMarkt).
Sidibe played the full ninety minutes in Everton’s Carabao Cup Second Round trip to Lincoln City in August, but was unable to make it off the bench when named as part of Silva’s Premier League matchday squads against Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth.
The rarely-seen right-back was then omitted from the 18-man squad that welcomed Sheffield United to Goodison Park on Saturday, only the second time the 27-year-old’s name has not been included so far this season.
Troyes-born Sidibe is ‘pushing’ Seamus Coleman for the Irishman’s place in the first-team according to Silva, though, who added that it was only through the Frenchman’s lack of a pre-season that has meant the Blues boss has had to be patient with his introduction to the English game.
“He is pushing, he is pushing,” Silva is quoted by the Liverpool Echo as saying. “You are talking about an experienced player.
“He didn’t do the pre-season with us, but he is the type of player who you don’t have doubts about his quality. He’s been champion of the world [with France in 2018], [and] he has played at a high, high level in the Champions League, all these things.
“He always come here to work hard and get his space in the team. Seamus knows he has a player there trying to get his place in the starting XI, trying to get his place, so it is good for us.”
Everton rotating their line-up against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night would not be unexpected, with Silva likely looking at the EFL competition as a chance to rest his key and most regular players, like he did in the Second Round win.
Coleman has been a key player for Silva in the league thus far, and the Portuguese head coach will surely be looking to minimalise the risk of the 54-cap Republic of Ireland international developing an injury having sat out only five league games since suffering a foot injury in September 2018 (TransferMarkt).
Players like Sidibe, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi may take to the midweek cup clash with a point to prove, as well, with Iwobi dropped to the bench when the Blues welcomed the Owls’ inner-city rivals to Merseyside at the weekend, while Kean once again failed to score his first Everton goal.
It was also in the EFL Cup where Iwobi made his first true mark at Everton, having been awarded his debut in a cameo appearance against Aston Villa days before.
Everton fans, how many changes would you like to see Silva make in the Carabao Cup? Let us know in the comments below…
