Silva: Mina will be ready to face Chelsea regardless

Lyndon Lloyd Friday, 2 November, 2018 16comments | Jump to most recent

Marco Silva says that Yerry Mina won't necessarily need to play against Brighton tomorrow in order to be ready to face Chelsea next weekend.

On-loan Kurt Zouma, one of Everton's two in-form centre-halves currently keeping the Colombian World Cup star out of the team, will be ineligible to face his parent club at Stamford Bridge and that has led to speculation over what Silva will do by way of preparation.

It had been suggested that Mina could be handed his full debut against the Seagulls at Goodison Park but his manager said that the defender will be ready to play Chelsea regardless.

He also hinted that the midweek friendly against Gor Mahia in the SportPesa Cup might also be a good option for Mina to gain some match sharpness even if it wouldn't expose him to top flight English football before he takes to the field in West London next Sunday.

“It's something [we] already [knew] some months ago, that when it comes to next week that Zouma is not able to play ,” Silva said in his pre-match press conference.

“But, believe me, it is our focus and our way to think is preparing our players to be ready to play.

“And Mina is ready to play if I take the decision. I know how he is working but in our minds stays just one game. It's the Brighton match, nothing more.

“At this moment you don't think [anything] about Chelsea. What I want is all our focus and ambition to be on tomorrow's match, nothing more.

“We have a friendly match next week as well; maybe that could be a solution.”

Reader Comments (16)

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Brian Williams
1 Posted 02/11/2018 at 22:49:38

For me you don't break up a successful partnership unless forced to.
Zuoma and Keane should start tomorrow IMO.

Simon Smith
2 Posted 02/11/2018 at 22:58:21

Zouma is playing well but Mina is our own player, we paid good money for him and the sooner he's playing the better as far as I'm concerned.

Geoff Lambert
3 Posted 03/11/2018 at 00:17:00

I think he will give him 30 min against Hove.

Kim Vivian
4 Posted 03/11/2018 at 08:07:42

Talks sense, doesn't he....

Tony Abrahams
5 Posted 03/11/2018 at 08:39:39

I don't see how playing against an African team at Goodison, will prepare him for Stamford bridge, especially considering that even though the two players who are playing now, are playing well, but every team that plays against Everton, usually creates a few good chances.

We are getting better, but we are still way to open, and I don't see how this is going to change, until we tweak the system?

Robert Leigh
6 Posted 03/11/2018 at 10:06:34

Wouldn't expect anything less - this makes sense.

IF we were to lose to Brighton with Mina & Keane at CB, we'd all wonder what would have happened if he kept Zouma in. Chelsea will be a backs-to-the-wall different game anyway, this weekend is not similar in preparation at all.

The only other way to set up would be a back 3; but he hasn't done that all season

Pickford
Keane - Mina - Zouma
Walcott - Gomes - Gana - Digne
Richarlison - Tosun - Lookman

Keep Zouma in, get the three points, worry about Chelski next week.

Jerome Shields
7 Posted 03/11/2018 at 10:33:02

Agree Keane and Zouma should start tomorrow. Keane has emerged to potiential and Zouma brought in before Mina has shown himself to be worth his place, Pity we didn't have the same competition at right back.

Jerome Shields
8 Posted 03/11/2018 at 10:34:13

Suppose we could play Mina at right back.

Amit Vithlani
9 Posted 03/11/2018 at 10:39:43

The days of square pegs in round holes has long gone for me. Mina making his debut in an unfamiliar position sounds like something Walter Smith would do, when we used to line up with 6 CBs

Winston Williamson
10 Posted 03/11/2018 at 11:07:48

Think Jerome had his tongue in cheek/thinking out loud...

Bringing Mina on with half an hour to go, depending on the game flow (winning/losing) makes the most sense.

Fran Mitchell
11 Posted 03/11/2018 at 13:32:59

While Keane and Zouma have performed well, we have still been leaking goals. I'm hoping that Mina can come in, for either Keane or Zouma, and raise the bar even higher. Look at the impact van Dijk had at Liverpool, hopefully Mina can have a similar impact.

Also, his presence on set pieces could also make a huge impact, we are poor at set pieces.

Jerome Shields
12 Posted 03/11/2018 at 14:16:35

Don't like being compared with Walter Smith.

Grant Rorrison
13 Posted 03/11/2018 at 14:24:07

It wouldn't surprise me if we trot out Phil Jagielka for the Chelsea game. We can pretty much forget about getting anything if we do though.

Steve Hopkins
14 Posted 03/11/2018 at 17:27:03

I'm not sure we'll see Jagielka again in a Premier League game, which in some ways is sad but Silva doesn't seem the sentimental type and being sentimental doesn't win you points and trophies.

Gareth Clark
15 Posted 05/11/2018 at 06:33:48

Finally, I am in complete agreement with an Everton manager!

Why risk losing to Brighton (a team would should be getting all 3 points â€“ as we did) â€“ because of a game that we are a lot more likely to lose.

Play one game at a time and play your best team every time.

Mina also now comes in for a tough game â€“ which I think is a good thing â€“ he'll have to be fully focused & on it from the word go.

Brian Wilkinson
16 Posted 05/11/2018 at 15:02:32

Amit @9, I also remember Walter Smith playing Steve Watson as a centre-forward and, on at least one occasion, Duncan Ferguson as a centre-half.

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