LEICESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Steve Cooper, Manager of Leicester City, reacts during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Aston Villa FC at The King Power Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Everton winger forced to leave training early today as defender set for scan ahead of Leicester City clash
Everton fitness update on Jack Harrison and Michael Keane.
Sean Dyche has admitted Michael Keane is set to have a scan ahead Everton’s trip to Leicester on Saturday.
The centre-back has featured in every game so far this term with Jarrad Branthwaite sidelined with a groin injury. But after the Carabao Cup defeat by Southampton earlier this week, Keane has suffered a small issue of his own that needs to be checked.
The Toffees could be without several players as they go in search of their first points of the Premier League season. James Garner has still to return to training because of illness, although Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Vitalii Mykolenko have come through sickness bugs.
James Tarkowski was also involved in the group after missing the Southampton game with a back injury and has a chance of returning. But Idrissa Gana Gueye will be absent because of a family bereavement while Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson are set to play for the under-21s against Sunderland on Sunday.
And to compound Everton’s frustrations, Sean Dyche revealed at his pre-match press conference Jack Harrison left the club’s Finch Farm base today with illness. The Blues boss said: “Keano, we are waiting on news. Tarki trained today so we have got to see if there’s no reaction.
“Jack Harrison has gone home unwell. We’re hopeful it is something out of nothing. Certainly, Dom and Myko are the two there who will be back in the fold.”
Steve Cooper will have spent the week fuming over the fact his Leicester City side threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace last weekend.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 92nd-minute strike from a penalty conceded by Conor Coady meant Leicester City‘s search for a first Premier League win of the season continued.
Steve Cooper knows that needs to change on Saturday as Leicester welcome bottom of the table Everton to the King Power, with the Toffees yet to register a single point this campaign.
Goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi put Leicester 2-0 up at Selhurst Park last time out, before the momentum shifted through a Mateta strike in the 47th-minute that was initially ruled out for offside before the decision was overturned by VAR.
Steve Cooper thinks Premier League wrong on Leicester City VAR controversy
The decision to overturn the initial offside call left supporters baffled as it looked for all the world as though Mateta was offside even after countless replays.
The VAR images released were also inconclusive at best, meaning that in theory the on-field decision should have stood.
Cooper was asked about the moment during his pre-Everton press conference, where he fumed: “It was an awful human error that we believe has been hidden a little bit.
“We didn’t feel it was tight, asked for clarity and have seen images that showed he was clearly offside.”
Cooper continued: “We’ve had a massive error go against is and we don’t want it to go under the radar because that’s not fair on the players or the supporters.”
