Michael Keane may be considering his future at Everton after Carlo Ancelotti snubbed him in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Burnley. The 26-year-old has fallen behind Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate in the peckin order of late and was surprisingly overlooked for Seamus Coleman in a three-man defence on Boxing day.
Ancelotti preferred an inconsistent 31-year-old right-back in a makeshift role than Everton’s £30m centre-back, so opportunities may be few and far between for Keane under the new manager. And with Everton being linked with centre-backs just days before the January transfer window opens, the England international could find himself on the periphery.
Keane has made 19 appearances in all competitions but has found himself on the bench in Everton’s last two games. He came off the bench in their 0-0 draw with Arsenal (December 21) and was an unused substitute against Burnley. In November, Keane was dropped too – he played only one minute of football in the last month.
With Mina, Holgate and Coleman impressing at centre-back, Ancelotti is likely to stick with the same backline against Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. Time will tell.