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Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident his team can manage without playmaker James Rodriguez after the Colombian international was ruled out of the Chelsea visit.
The 29-year-old suffered a calf injury in last weekend’s draw with Burnley and has not trained all week and Ancelotti is not prepared to take risks despite the obvious influence the South American has of his side.
Since his arrival from Real Madrid at the start of the season, Rodríguez has scored three Premier League goals and provided three assists, but his contribution goes much further.
He instantly became the creative hub and has only missed one league game, the defeat at Newcastle, but his teammates will have to find another way to have trusted him for so long.
“He had a calf problem after Burnley and he couldn’t train so I don’t want to take chances,” Ancelotti said.
‘After the (Chelsea) game I will take a look to see if he can play Leicester.
“James is a fantastic player for us, he did very well at the beginning and had some problems after the Liverpool game, he traveled a lot with the national team and because of that his condition dropped a bit.
But we have to be, and will be, able to adapt to the fact that he can’t play.
“We have a good squad, maybe we will play a little differently, but I think we can support the fact that he will not play tomorrow.”
Interestingly, Rodriguez has received some criticism for his lack of defensive support, no doubt augmented by Everton’s current streak of one win in seven games.
However, Ancelotti, whose defensive woes have been intensified by the absence of full-backs Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne with neither available again on Saturday, laughed.
‘What can I say? I say that we have signed James so that he does not defend, ‘he added.
“We have signed James to help the team have a better quality up front. I think the work he’s done offensively was really good.
“ Defensively, of course, we didn’t assign it, I didn’t assign it, with a lot of work. If you ask for a lot of work defensively, you will lose it up front.
It’s like what I ask of Richarlison, nothing different. They are more or less in the same position, James on the right and Richarlison on the left, and I’m not going to ask them for much work defensively. ‘
Ancelotti faces the club he coached from 2009 to 2011, who coincidentally fired him on the way home after a 1-0 loss at Goodison Park on the final day of the season.
Frank Lampard played with Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge, but will now try to surpass him as a rival coach.
He is doing very well. They have a fantastic squad and squad, their work is really good, ”said the Italian.
‘Our relationship has changed. Before it was between coach and player, now it is between teammates.
“I am happy and happy to see him again.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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