Niasse scored on his first competitive Everton appearance, against Sunderland.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has hinted that Oumar Niasse may not feature against Bournemouth this weekend, despite opening his Toffees account on Wednesday.
Niasse’s 24-minute cameo against Sunderland – who were beaten 3-0 at Goodison Park – was his first competitive appearance for the club under Koeman’s reign, and followed strong calls from fans to give the Senegalese a chance in the first team.
He took his goal well, controlling a cross with his chest before stabbing the ball into the roof of the net.
But while Koeman insisted that Niasse is now part of his plans, he added he still has an abundance of players available for Bournemouth’s visit, meaning some of them will miss out.
“Yes he is (in my plans), that’s not changed (because of) yesterday,” Koeman said via Everton’s Periscope account on Thursday. “Because he’s part of the team, he had (an) opportunity to be on the bench yesterday. He came on in the second half, he scored a great goal.
“Of course, he is in my mind for the weekend. But I have 29 players, that means we have some injuries, but still some players are not selected for the weekend. Every weekend these are tough decisions.”
Niasse, who spent the second half of last season on loan to Hull City, had been expected to leave Everton during the summer transfer window, with several clubs reported to be keen.
But the 26-year-old remained at Goodison Park, nonetheless, after the Toffees failed to secure a replacement.
Asked about Niasse’s attitude, Koeman replied: “Positive. If his attitude wasn’t positive then, okay, he wasn’t on the bench yesterday.”
Should Niasse be involved for Everton against Bournemouth?
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