Carlo Ancelotti hints at more game time for Everton man who’s played 31 minutes this term

Add as preferred source on Google

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has hinted at more game time for Toffees striker Cenk Tosun over the festive period.

The 29-year-old joined Everton from Besiktas in 2018 for a reported £27million fee and has clocked up 53 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 10 goals and claiming six assists.

Tosun fell out of favour at Goodison Park last season, making just five Premier League appearances before going on to join Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season.

The Turkey international made five appearances for the Eagles, scoring on his full debut to help secure a 2-2 draw against Manchester City, but suffered an ACL injury and returned to Goodison.

This term, Ancelotti has brought Tosun back into the fold, with two Premier League appearances off the bench totalling 31 minutes of game time.

Although the striker was an unused substitute for the games against Fulham and Leeds, the Everton boss spoke highly of his player ahead of Saturday’s early kickoff at Burnley.

“Cenk is doing really well,” Ancelotti told the Liverpool Echo. “His recovery was good, not simple, but good. His condition getting better and better.

“He played some part of the games, his condition is improving.  The fact that we have a lot of games in December I think he is going to find the space to play, because I want to rotate the players a little bit.

“From him I expect what he is able to do, goals. I think he is really good in the box, really efficient in the box… I like his quality.”

TBR View:

While Tosun may have split opinion amongst Everton fans in the past, Ancelotti clearly rates him highly and looks willing to give him more game time over the coming weeks.

The 29-year-old was incredibly unlucky at Palace, having started well, only to suffer arguably the worst injury a footballer can have, so hopefully he can end the year on a high note by playing and scoring for Everton.