I won’t gamble on Evans He’s settling in so well
NORTHERN IRELAND BOSS HOPING DEFENDER CAN PLAY IN QUALIFIERS BOSS PLEASED AT HOW HIS NEW ARRIVAL SOUMARE IS ADAPTING TO LIFE IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
NORTHERN Ireland boss Ian Baraclough has vowed not to risk Jonny Evans after the Leicester City centreback was called up for international duty amid continued injury concerns.
Baraclough has named Evans in his squad for October’s World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Bulgaria.
This is despite the 33-year-old still awaiting his first Premier League start of the season, something that has not been possible because of his long-standing foot issue.
Evans did complete 90 minutes for the first time since April during City’s midweek Carabao Cup victory over Millwall, but soreness in his foot then prevented him from featuring in the league draw with Burnley.
In September, Evans was called up by Northern Ireland but then didn’t travel.
Baraclough has said he is in contact with Brendan Rodgers over his fitness, and promises he won’t take a gamble on the defender.
“Jonny’s presence and experience speaks for itself, and hopefully he comes through this week’s games to be able to join up with us,” Baraclough told the BBC.
“Managing him, and Brendan is doing that at the club, is important. I’ll be guided by him and the medical people.
“We are not going to put anyone at risk or gamble with anyone, and Jonny is in as good a position as anyone to make that call. We will make sure when he does come into camp we will look after him properly and make sure he is right.
“If he is not quite right, then between myself, Jonny and Brendan we will make that call.”
He added: “Hopefully he comes through this week unscathed and builds on the game-time that he has with Leicester but he’s in a better place than he was a few weeks ago.
“We’re going to have to be careful with him and ultimately Jonny is going to have to be the one who makes the final decision on things.
“He knows his own body and what he can and cannot do.”
Nearly all of City’s fit defenders are likely to be called up by their countries for next week’s international break, including Caglar Soyuncu (Turkey), Jannik Vestergaard (Denmark), Daniel Amartey (Ghana), Timothy Castagne (Belgium), Ricardo Pereira (Portugal), and Luke Thomas (England Under-21).
Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark), Danny Ward (Wales), Youri Tielemans (Belgium), Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho (both Nigeria), and Patson Daka (Zambia) are also expected to represent their nations.
BOUBAKARY Soumare is adapting to a new country, a new league, and a new position – but is doing a good job so far.
That’s the view of manager Brendan Rodgers with the £17 million Frenchman starting three of City’s last four games in all competitions, including Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Burnley.
At former club Lille, Soumare had been used at the base of the midfield, but in his past few City outings he has played in a box-tobox role in a trio with Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans.
Rodgers is trying to evolve the 22-year-old’s game so that he can have an impact at the top end of the pitch.
At Lille, Soumare registered just one goal and three assists in 112 games, but Rodgers believes his characteristics and his days as an attacking midfielder in PSG’s academy will see him become a hit in his City role.
“I think he’s adapting well,” the manager said.
“We want more goal threat and more attacking bodies to get into the box, and that releases him that little bit more.
“(Against Burnley), he was up there in the more advanced positions and getting into the box.
“He started his career as a number 10, that’s what he was, he was up there as a creative player.
“It’s just really about giving confidence to him to get in there, and you see he threatened a few times.
“That’s just time. Yes, he’s played deeper but he has the capacity, because he’s a good athlete,
to run and get forward and get into the box. He’s adapting well to the tempo of the Premier League.
“It’s a totally different pace of the game for him. I’ve been really pleased with him.”
Soumare may have to drop into a deeper position for one game this week though when City travel to Legia Warsaw in the Europa League without Wilfred Ndidi.
The Nigerian defensive midfielder was sent off for a second yellow card in injury time in the 2-2 draw with Napoli a fortnight ago, and so is suspended for City’s first away game of the competition.
It will be the first time in 31 competitive matches that Ndidi has not been in City’s starting lineup, a run going all the way back to early February.