**Everton’s decision not to move for a free-agent striker means one player has suddenly become particularly precious to David Moyes.**
Thierno Barry is now the only recognised senior centre-forward in the squad.
Beto left for Fiorentina on Deadline Day, the proposed move for Folarin Balogun collapsed, and Everton have so far resisted the temptation to look outside the transfer window for another striker.
Which leaves a fairly obvious question.
What on earth would Moyes do if Barry got injured?
It isn’t difficult to imagine.
Barry starts against Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson on Sunday, rolls an ankle after half an hour and signals to the bench that he can’t continue.
Who comes on?
There is no senior No.9 sitting among the subs waiting to replace him.
Charly Alcaraz is a possibility. He can play high up the pitch and could potentially operate as part of a more fluid attack, although asking him to become a conventional centre-forward would be a considerable stretch.
Jack Grealish gives Moyes another attacking option, but again, he isn’t a No.9.
The other alternative would be to change the shape completely and play without a conventional striker.
All are possible. None are ideal.
It’s the problem Everton have created for themselves.
Barry has started the season well, scoring against Crystal Palace before hitting a hat-trick in the 4-0 Carabao Cup victory at Preston.
At 23, there is no reason he shouldn’t be capable of playing plenty of football.
But this isn’t really about fatigue or form. It is about risk.
There will be occasions between now and January when Moyes would ordinarily consider taking Barry off early or leaving him out of a cup game.
Now every decision comes with the knowledge that there is no natural senior replacement if something goes wrong.
Everton may have enough attacking flexibility to muddle through without him for a game or two. Anything longer would be considerably more uncomfortable.
So until the transfer market reopens in January, wrapping Barry in cotton wool whenever circumstances allow is the only way.
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