Joao Virginia was pictured training with the Everton first-team ahead of their meeting with Liverpool on June 21.
The 20-year-old has spent the last few months with the U23s after a failed loan move at Reading, but he may get the nod from Carlo Ancelotti to replace Maarten Stekelenburg for the upcoming Merseyside derby.
Stekelenburg is out of contract this summer and is expected to be released before June 24, but Everton risk leaving themselves without adequate cover between the sticks as Jonas Lossl is still on loan at Huddersfield Town.
It was suggested that Stekelenburg’s contract could be extended until the end of the revised season, but Virginia’s inclusion in the first-team may be a hint that he’s being earmarked to replace the experienced Dutch international.
Virginia joined Everton from Arsenal in 2018 and has gone on to make 16 appearances for the U23s, conceding 13 goals and making nine clean sheets. After showing promise in the reserves, the Portuguese U21 international was loaned out to Reading last summer, but he struggled for consistency.
The 20-year-old made errors in his first two league appearances, quickly lost his place in the starting lineup and was bombed out of the first-team in mid-September. Virginia’s season-long loan was cut short in January.
He’s been back with the reserves upon his return and now has a chance to impress Ancelotti as he enters the last year of his deal.