Everton boss Ronald Koeman has pulled no punches during his interviews since taking over at Goodison Park.
Ronald Koeman has confirmed at his press conference (which was broadcast on Everton’s official Facebook page) that Tom Cleverley is fit, but has not done enough to make it into Everton’s squad.
Cleverley was not even in Everton’s match day 18 for their most recent fixture against Sunderland.
Initially it was thought that the midfielder was nursing an injury, but Koeman has confirmed that the former Manchester United midfielder is fully fit.
“Cleverley is not [out]. He was already available, but he fell out of the 18 last Monday,” Koeman said.
Everton do have some injuries in midfield, with Koeman also stating that James McCarthy and Darron Gibson are currently on the treatment table.
Cleverley looks to face a fight to win his place back in the team, with Everton starting the season in impressive form.
The partnership of new signing Idrissa Gueye and Gareth Barry has caught the eye in the opening weeks of the season.
Koeman has already confirmed that Barry will start for Everton against Middlesbrough at the weekend, and it would be a shock if Gueye was not alongside him.
If Everton are able to pick up a victory against Boro, they could move to the top of the Premier League table at this early stage.
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