Everton’s captain will miss 3 games, after receiving a straight red card against Wolves last weekend.
Everton began their season with a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, twice surrendering a lead in a game the majority of which they played with 10 men.
Toffees’ captain Phil Jagielka was controversially sent off in the 41st minute, when referee Craig Pawson showed him a straight red card for a last-ditch challenge of opposition striker Diogo Jota.
The 35-year-old’s absence leaves Everton boss Marco Silva with a couple of decisions to make ahead of their clash with Southampton at Goodison Park this Saturday.
Fitness dependent, it seems likely that one of the two summer signings, Yerry Mina and Kurt Zouma, will partner Michael Keane in central defence, with Mason Holgate also a possibility.
The selection of a stand-in captain may, however, prove a more difficult choice for Silva. Though experienced left-back Leighton Baines may have previously seemed the obvious choice, the deadline day arrival of Lucas Digne from Barcelona will surely bring his place into doubt going forward.
Baines has been a fantastic servant for the club, making 404 appearances for the Toffees’, but is the 33-year-old is not the player he used to be, and Digne’s late introduction against Wolves would suggest the manager is preparing to give him an opportunity.
A more leftfield suggestion, but potentially a more forward-thinking one, is right-back Seamus Coleman.
The 29-year-old has made 260 appearances for the club since he joined from Sligo Rovers in 2010 and is one of the first names on Silva’s team sheet.
The Irishman is a passionate player who already sets an example for his teammates on the pitch and consistently gives everything he has for his side.
Giving the armband to Coleman, who became the Republic of Ireland captain in 2016, would also be advantageous for a time in which Jagielka is no longer a regular in the side – which could be sooner rather than later with Mina, Zouma, Keane, and Holgate all competing for places.
Few other options are available, and though Silva could risk unsettling the dressing room if he decides against giving Baines the armband, he would be making a choice which could pay dividends in the future.
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