Everton manager Frank Lampard plans to expose some of the club’s younger players to Carabao Cup football but is unlikely to launch them deep against Premier League opponents Bournemouth.
A number of Toffees players are due to rest, including four – James Tarkowski, Vitalii Mykolenko, Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray – having started all 14 top-flight games so far and played for virtually every minute of them.
The cup competition is likely to see defenders Michael Keane, Mason Holgate, Ruben Vinagre and long-time injured Yerry Mina, midfielders Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Davies and James Garner, and forwards Neal Maupay and Salomon Rondon having a time of important game.
Lampard is still awaiting injury updates on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and midfield duo Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gana Gueye, but they would have been unlikely to feature anyway.
In the 1-0 win over Fleetwood last time out, the manager launched Reece Welch and made his debuts with 19-year-old Stanley Mills and 20-year-old Lewis Warrington.
Mills, who joined Leeds academy aged 14 and is the son of former Manchester City defender Danny, impressed during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States and scores regularly for those under 21.
“My intention is to bring some youngsters on the bench so the game feels like it’s part of it and see if we can get them on the pitch, so I’d like to think we’ll have two, three, four. on the bench, but I can’t guarantee that until we score,” Lampard said.
“Stanley is doing very well and scoring regularly, playing well and developing very well, so it’s good to give players like that, who do well the opportunity when they come up.
“Perhaps the most important thing will always be the individual and their quality and their level of play or their attitude.
“Stan is a good point because he has a great approach and attitude. It probably comes from his father’s football background, which I know well.
“He’s a very strong runner, he has an eye for goal, he’s a good player, so yes he can be an option.
“But he’s still very young, we all know how difficult it is at a young age to break through and have an immediate impact on a regular basis, so maybe it will be gradual for him.
“If he keeps progressing in the right direction, I’ll see him like this (an attacking option) even more.”
Comments are closed.