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Allardyce not putting a timeframe on Sigurdsson's return
Sam Allardyce says he and his team are taking a wait-and-see approach with regard to Gylfi Sigurdsson's knee injury rather than confirm that the Icelandic star will be out for up to eight weeks.
Sigurdsson sustained the problem in the first half of last weekend's home win over Brighton and while he went on to complete the full 90 minutes, he underwent scans that revealed some damage, albeit not as bad as was first feared.
The prognosis that was revealed by Everton via the official website pegged Sigurdsson's recovery time at between six and eight weeks, a timeframe that Allardyce contests.
“It's an unfortunate trauma injury and when you can't avoid an injury like this, you have to look at the recovery time. Hopefully, Gylfi's recovery time can be shorter than we might expect,” he said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Stoke.
“Medical specialists always try and give a conservative view and you try and beat that. It could be less than [eight weeks] — whoever gave that statement out is going to get a bollocking today! I've always felt it wrong to tag an injury with time limits.
“You cannot predict a length of injury in its entirety because you have people who heal quicker. We have qualified medical people and equipment to try and speed up any injury [recovery].
“Along with James McCarthy and [Eliaquim] Managala who did his knee, I think it''s been a tough time all year with injuries and that has certainly had an effect on away performances and results.”
Sigurdsson's absence opens up a vacancy in attacking midfield in the “number 10” role in which he has sometimes been deployed this season. Wayne Rooney would be an obvious candidate to move forward into that position, something that Allardyce acknowledged in his presser.
He was also asked if the loss of Sigurdsson provides a window of opportunity for Davy Klaassen who made his first Premier League appearance since October when he came off the bench late against Brighton.
“It may do,” the manager replied, somewhat doubtfully. “It's been a struggle for Davy since he arrived. I think that if he gets an opportunity… the players at home who have got an opportunity have done very, very well. Sometimes the players away from home have not lived up to the expectation.
“If he does get the opportunity, hopefully he will shine and show what he achieved at Ajax but at the moment we have a squad of players who are hopefully eager and looking forward to the game against Stoke.
“At the end of the day, it's not just [Davy] that's struggled in his first season in the Premier League. Like many players that arrive in this country, the first year can be the hardest for them and once they've had their first season under their belt and they come for a new season where they know where it's all about then they've got a big opportunity to show what they're made of.
“With today's prices, the expectation starts right from the very beginning and that sometimes makes it difficult to achieve your best performances in a season where you've arrived in a new culture, new environment and new league.
Reader Comments (21)
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2 Posted 15/03/2018 at 17:46:54
Big Fat Sam is right about one thing though. The injury situation has been woeful. Can't remember being so badly decimated by injury for so long. It really shone a spotlight on loosing Lukaku.
Coleman, Baines, Funes Mori, Barkley and more all our for lengthily spells really stopped this season from starting.
3 Posted 15/03/2018 at 18:20:49
And before anyone tells me he has to do them because we are contracted to Sky, what I really mean is why has he not been sacked yet?
4 Posted 15/03/2018 at 18:21:51
Cue Schneiderlin's entrance music!
Also, Allardyce rushing Sigurdsson back and causing him to aggravate the injury out of some desperate, misguided attempt to save his job would be the perfect capper to the season.
5 Posted 15/03/2018 at 18:23:59
6 Posted 15/03/2018 at 18:32:00
The Gylfi Saga Part II has already begun. Just our bad luck again, but we have able deputies, possibly Davy included. Just let him heal and update us like with Leighton and Seamus. In fact, he should have been brought off, as he is not the type to stay down. When he did that limp to a stop, it is usually a sign of something serious.
I think that Alzheimerdyce actually believes the shite that comes out of his own mouth!
7 Posted 15/03/2018 at 19:18:02
8 Posted 15/03/2018 at 19:18:37
If that is the case, please replace these players sensibly, bring Vlasic and one of the other youngsters Anthony Evans, or the like in. Do not play Schneiderlin, or you are just inviting trouble.
11 Posted 15/03/2018 at 20:07:55
13 Posted 15/03/2018 at 20:24:42
Is this a serious statement?
So the reason we suck away from home this year is because of those two injuries?
You are a moron, Sam!
14 Posted 15/03/2018 at 20:32:07
15 Posted 15/03/2018 at 20:45:32
Fashionable/follow the crowd to criticise Allardyce now is it?
PC raises its ugly head once more!
16 Posted 15/03/2018 at 20:50:45
The players at home who have been given the opportunity have done very very well, sometimes the players away from home haven't lived up to expectations.
What the hell does that mean?
17 Posted 15/03/2018 at 21:11:43
I still think that we have a good squad and if we can get someone in the dugout to get things to gel we can compete for some silverware next season.
The Goodison derby would be a good place to start the turnaround, It would make my season to see that lot spitting mad.
19 Posted 16/03/2018 at 01:32:38
Davy definitely needs to start matches now Sigurdsson is out. From what I have seen of him in his cameos, I think he will come good as it looks like he can read the game very well and can play a pass the way Rooney does (just not lose it as much). Hopefully Fat Sam pulls his head out and fucks off Schneiderlin and plays Davy.
As a few have already said, I reckon we have a good team, we just need to work on team dynamics and confidence. Something we have needed all season but with 3 managers, it has failed massively. That's why I have a worrying feeling that Fat Sam will be kept on for next season.
20 Posted 16/03/2018 at 01:51:51
God please let this season end so you can just go! I'm totally exhausted with this season, as you might tell.
21 Posted 16/03/2018 at 05:07:00
Press conferences or interviews don't win football matches – performances do... so it's on the pitch I want to see improvements – not on the telly.
22 Posted 16/03/2018 at 05:25:38
I think the team for Stoke will be:
Pickford
Coleman Jagielka Keane Baines
Idrissa Davies
Walcott Rooney Bolasie
Tosun
Hopefully Klaassen & Vlasic are on the bench:
Robles, Holgate, Funes Mori, Klaassen, Vlasic, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse.
23 Posted 16/03/2018 at 06:59:34
CI completely agree that Klaassen should play. I'm convinced he's a good player. He needs a chance and now is the time.
24 Posted 16/03/2018 at 08:57:30
I know Rooney has been playing deeper lately but his tendency to lose the ball next to Davies who also loses the ball an alarming amount of times is going to be costly against better teams like Man City or Liverpool.
I'm tempted to throw Klaassen in tomorrow from the start though and see what he can give, with him in behind Tosun and Walcott and Bolasie offering support on the flanks.
I'm unsure if I would start Davies to be honest, I think it's just been too much for him at times this season and he isn't really offering much; maybe give him the City game depending on how Klaassen performed tomorrow? He's had a long spell in the side now, has Tom, and not really taken a game by the scruff of the neck or majorly impacted anything for a while, has he?
Gueye will probably come in... but again, this is another player who makes me question what he really does that well anymore?
I think we just have to see what happens but we need to stop being so mentally and physically fragile in away games – that's why I'm all for trying a few new players that haven't failed all season when playing away.
25 Posted 16/03/2018 at 16:30:46
The point I was making is that he specified away results and performances only, where we have a shite record. We have a way better home record so apparently injuries don't bother us at home!
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1 Posted 15/03/2018 at 17:02:50