Seasons2020-21Everton News
Ancelotti looking at the New Year for Gbamin return

Gbamin, a £23m signing from Mainz last year, suffered a serious quad injury early in the 2019-20 season and was set to make his comeback during Project Restart earlier this year when he ruptured an Achilles tendon, sending him back to surgery.
The Ivorian has been building up his strength with an individualised rehabilitation programme in recent weeks with the hope of rejoining his team-mates in full training at Finch Farm.
That hasn't happened yet but Ancelotti has explained he could be ready to rejoin the group before the end of the year with the hope that he can make his full return in the New Year.
“I'm waiting and the player is desperate to come [back],” the Italian said today when asked about Gbamin during his press conference ahead of tomorrow's trip to Leicester. “I think today we have a talk with him and the doctor and I think we can start to look for him for the next year.
“We hope that it can be a different year because the guy has had a lot of problems; he has suffered a lot and we hope that 2021 will be fantastic for him.
“I don't think [we will see him before the end of this year] but the important thing will be for him to start to train with the team.”
Reader Comments (19)
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2 Posted 15/12/2020 at 19:18:13
3 Posted 15/12/2020 at 19:39:02
4 Posted 15/12/2020 at 19:44:19
5 Posted 15/12/2020 at 20:51:38
7 Posted 15/12/2020 at 21:02:28
8 Posted 15/12/2020 at 22:03:47
9 Posted 15/12/2020 at 22:19:25
I wish all the very best to the lad getting back to at least getting to a position where he's deemed okay to play in the Premier League. Then he basically is back to where he was in August 2019 – can he raise his game to the level the Premier League demands. Normally for most overseas players that can take 2-3 months.
If he can get fully fit, and if he can get into the team then I don't think we should expect this lad to suddenly reach the heights that propel us to the next level.
I truly wish he can overcome the physical and mental battle he'll face in the next 3 months.
10 Posted 16/12/2020 at 09:46:53
11 Posted 16/12/2020 at 09:51:37
12 Posted 16/12/2020 at 10:02:57
A few games for the U23's and then possibly a few introductions from the bench to see how he fares.
He's surely due some better luck and we could really use a good CDM who might let Allan and Doucore off the leash a bit more. Not sure it would be fair to expect that from Gbamin now but best of luck to him.
13 Posted 16/12/2020 at 10:05:09
14 Posted 16/12/2020 at 10:12:37
Go slowly, but also not too slowly. Because he needs to play to get to fitness, and to psychologically prepare himself too.
15 Posted 16/12/2020 at 11:26:21
If he can recreate what he had before, then we have a man of real potential to improve the squad. But we have seen how long it has taken fit players like Iwobi and even Sigurdsson to start to show why we paid the big bucks for them. It isn't going to happen overnight for him. So we as fans have to be patient and not expect miracles.
16 Posted 16/12/2020 at 12:21:43
However this has to be tempered with caution as any re-occurrence would be a disaster for the player.
Hopefully the medical staff will be careful in their assessments, and a little more time to be certain will not make much difference.
17 Posted 16/12/2020 at 17:54:25
The Premiership can be an unforgiving place in terms of the intensity required to survive and prosper. I hope things work out for him.
18 Posted 16/12/2020 at 22:37:06
19 Posted 16/12/2020 at 23:37:28
He's still very much an unknown quantity and post injury will have a lot of question marks over his ability and fitness.
Iwobi is learning that he has to stay switched on and defend even as a winger. The fullback / wingback role may have helped him learn what playing for the team means.
Others have to step up too. I'm sure Bernard and Davies will be given game time. They have to show the same fight and smarts for the good of the team.
20 Posted 17/12/2020 at 17:05:03
Surely the point is that he hasn't been rushed back. At some stage in any rehabilitation (if it's successful), you become ready to resume full training. That doesn't mean you've done bugger all before that. ‘Back in full training' has surely got to mean in good enough shape that, after a few weeks, he will be ready for some bench duty, perhaps, building up to full match fitness over the next few months.
My concern is that the lad either will have lost significant capability or that he will breakdown once again when going full throttle, but if he's deemed ready for full training any time soon then we've already gone through the easing him back-in phase.
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1 Posted 15/12/2020 at 19:08:27