Published: April 23, 2021 7:29 pm
Last Updated: April 23, 2021 7:43 pm
An explanation for Michael Keane’s absence from Everton’s matchday squad to face Arsenal has been forthcoming online this evening.
Emirates showdown
Carlo Ancelotti’s men are of course set to return to action shortly, in a Premier League meeting with the Gunners in north London.
The Toffees head into proceedings desperate for a positive result, having seen their European ambitions dealt a series of blows over recent weeks.
A 2-2 stalemate with Tottenham last time out made it five straight league outings without a win, leaving Everton dwindling in 8th in the English top-flight.
A bounce-back victory this evening, though, would see the Merseysiders move to within a point of Spurs in 6th, whilst boasting a game in hand on Ryan Mason’s side.
Everton’s English striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates after scoring Everton’s first goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on September 13, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)
Keane latest
In turn, ahead of such an important outing at the Emirates, it no doubt came as a blow to the Everton faithful when, upon the club’s starting line-up being announced a short time ago, a key member of Carlo Ancelotti’s backline was nowhere to be seen.
The player in question? Michael Keane.
Whilst the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Allan and Andre Gomes returned to take their respective places in the visitors’ XI, stopper Keane was completely omitted from Everton’s matchday squad:
⚠️ ! ⚠️
3️⃣ changes
DCL starts as five return to the squadCOME ON YOU BLUES! #ARSEVE pic.twitter.com/R75AFyOcIz
— Everton (@Everton) April 23, 2021
As outlined above, though, ahead of the action getting underway in the capital, an explanation for the absence of the English international has since been provided.
As per Phil Kirkbride of the Liverpool Echo, Keane was forced to sit out training this week, amid struggles with a hamstring issue.
It therefore feels safe to assume that the same problem ruled the centre-half out tonight, too:
No Michael Keane in the squad. Hamstring issue means he’s missed training this week
— Phil Kirkbride (@philkecho) April 23, 2021
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City FC | 33 | 45 | 77 |
| 2 | Manchester United FC | 32 | 29 | 66 |
| 3 | Leicester City FC | 32 | 21 | 59 |
| 4 | Chelsea FC | 32 | 19 | 55 |
| 5 | West Ham United FC | 32 | 11 | 55 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 33 | 18 | 53 |
| 7 | Liverpool FC | 32 | 16 | 53 |
| 8 | Everton FC | 31 | 3 | 49 |
| 9 | Arsenal FC | 32 | 8 | 46 |
| 10 | Leeds United | 32 | 0 | 46 |
| 11 | Aston Villa FC | 31 | 9 | 44 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 32 | -9 | 41 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace FC | 31 | -19 | 38 |
| 14 | Southampton FC | 32 | -18 | 36 |
| 15 | Newcastle United FC | 32 | -18 | 35 |
| 16 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 32 | -5 | 34 |
| 17 | Burnley FC | 32 | -19 | 33 |
| 18 | Fulham FC | 33 | -18 | 27 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 32 | -34 | 24 |
| 20 | Sheffield United FC | 32 | -39 | 14 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 21 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 19 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 16 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 15 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 14 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 14 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 13 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 13 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa FC | 12 |
| Gundogan, Ilkay | Manchester City FC | 12 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 10 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 10 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 10 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City FC | 9 |
| Lingard, Jesse | West Ham United FC | 9 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 9 |
| Aubameyang, Pierre-Emerick | Arsenal FC | 9 |
| Soucek, Tomas | West Ham United FC | 9 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maguire, Harry | Manchester United FC | 0 | 9 |
| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 8 |
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 8 |
| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 8 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 7 |
| Luiz, Douglas | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 7 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 8 |
| Soucek, Tomas | West Ham United FC | 1 | 6 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 7 |
| Shaw, Luke | Manchester United FC | 0 | 7 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 0 | 7 |
| Reid, Bobby | Fulham FC | 0 | 7 |
| Hojbjerg, Pierre | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 0 | 7 |
| Xhaka, Granit | Arsenal FC | 1 | 6 |
| Evans, Jonny | Leicester City FC | 0 | 7 |
| Andersen, Joachim | Fulham FC | 1 | 6 |
| Phillips, Kalvin | Leeds United | 0 | 7 |
| Cash, Matty | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 6 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 6 |
| Targett, Matt | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 7 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 13 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 11 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 10 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 10 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 9 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 8 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 7 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 7 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 6 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 6 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 6 |
| Pereira, Matheus | West Bromwich Albion | 6 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 6 |
| Harrison, Jack | Leeds United | 6 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 6 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 6 |
| Neto, Pedro | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 6 |
| Gross, Pascal | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 6 |
| Silva, Bernardo | Manchester City FC | 6 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 6 |
