Everton wasted no time whatsoever in throwing Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye back into action after they won the Africa Cup of Nations.
David Moyes named the pair in his starting XI for the 1-1 draw against Leeds just days after they returned from celebrating in Senegal, with the Glaswegian actually hinting he wanted them even back sooner in his press conference before that match.
Iliman Ndiaye has played every single minute available at Everton since returning – whereas Idrissa Gueye has played all but ten minutes – and The Athletic now share what Hill Dickinson Stadium insiders think about this treatment.
Will Everton need European football to keep Iliman Ndiaye? 😬
Surely a player of his quality will want to showcase himself on the top stage 🤩
Iliman Ndiaye ahead of playing for Everton.
Credit: Getty Images/Simon Stacpoole/Offside
Everton think they rushed the pair of Senegal internationals back to action
The latest article from The Athletic highlights just how unbalanced the midfield currently is under Moyes.
Within the piece, one line states there is an “acceptance” at Everton that Ndiaye and Gueye perhaps should not have started against Leeds, having only just played seven gruelling games out in Morocco before the resulting celebrations after winning the tournament.
That is especially true of Gueye, who turns 37 in September and has looked particularly leggy in his four Premier League appearances since returning as gaps frequently open up in midfield.
However, you can understand why Moyes wanted two of his best players back in the starting XI immediately, having just suffered three miserable results at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
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Everton were battered 4-2 by Brentford before Wolves held the Toffees to a 1-1 draw, a game which also saw Jack Grealish and Michael Keane sent off.
Sunderland then dumped Everton out of the FA Cup, so Moyes obviously did not want to risk suffering another defeat when Leeds came to Merseyside.
David Moyes needs to stop using Idrissa Gueye
Gueye remains a key man for Everton, but for the sake of the future, Moyes should give another of his central midfield options a start alongside James Garner for the rest of this season.
The Senegalese stalwart sees his contract expire in July, and while Everton have the option to trigger a further 12 months on that deal, the Toffees need to remember that he turns 37 in September, as aforesaid.
There are no 37-year-old midfielders starting regularly in the Premier League nowadays for a reason.
While Gueye may still be able to showcase physical attributes that defy his years, using him regularly prevents a younger option like the 23-year-old Merlin Rohl from developing into a player Everton can rely on across the next decade.
Does Gueye need to be dropped? 🤔
Idrissa Gana Gueye.
As much as Gueye has done for Everton, it is time to start thinking about the future.
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