Everton suffered a blow on Sunday afternoon, as Lucas Digne was sent off in the 2-0 defeat at Southampton for a challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters.
The Toffees appealed his dismissal, and have at least managed to get the suspension reduced to just the one game.
However, that still means that Digne will miss this weekend’s trip to take on Newcastle United, and Carlo Ancelotti will have to make a change at left back.
That likely means that Niels Nkounkou is set for a first Premier League start, having shown huge promise since arriving from Marseille over the summer.
Nkounkou, 19, may not have expected much first-team playing time this season. He never made his Marseille debut, and he was very much seen as one for the future at Everton.
Yet having starred in pre-season, Nkounkou has been given chances in the Carabao Cup, earning huge praise off the back of his displays – especially with a stunning backheel assist against Fleetwood Town.
Now, Nkounkou looks set to start against Newcastle, and he has the chance to show that he really is Marcel Brands’ biggest bargain at Everton so far.
As reported by Transfermarkt, Everton paid just €270,000 (£245,000) to sign Nkounkou, which is an astonishing bargain in the current market.
Even if Nkounkou doesn’t fare well in the Premier League, Everton haven’t exactly splurged a huge fee on the teenager, so it was a punt well worth taking.
Having already impressed though, Nkounkou can now show that he is more than just promise, and that he is ready for Premier League action now whilst pushing Digne all the way.
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