The Everton midfielder was taken off at half-time against Sunderland after a poor first-half display.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has told his pre-match press conference that he has told Ross Barkley he must improve moving forward.
The midfielder endured a torrid evening on Monday when his side took on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
In a disappointing first half from the Blues, he was by far the Toffees’ worst performer, giving away possession on a number of occasions and generally frustrating.
Gerard Deulofeu eventually replaced him at half-time, watching his team put in a superb second-half display to secure a 3-0 win.
It was the latest disappointment in a summer of frustration for Barkley that saw him sit on the bench throughout Euro 2016 and miss out on Sam Allardyce’s first Three Lions squad.
And Koeman admits he has told the midfielder that he must improve moving forward.
“I had talks with Ross that he needs to improve but okay we’ll see at the weekend,” he told his pre-match press conference.
“We spoke to him and he understands. We showed him the clips and there’s no escape. In all aspects, he can improve and needs to improve but he is a young player to question.”
Barkley will now be hoping to bounce back with a positive performance against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The Blues take on Aitor Karanka’s side at Goodison Park looking to secure their third successive win.
They currently sit third in the table with 10 points from four games and if other results go their way could find themselves top of the table with a victory.
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