Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has tipped recent signing Joshua King to make his full Everton debut this weekend if Dominic Calvert-Lewin is to miss the game against Fulham through injury.
Toffees assistant manager Duncan Ferguson confirmed that the 23-year-old suffered a hamstring tweak after he was seen hobbling on and off the pitch against Tottenham in midweek.
Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish raised expectations that the Norway international would be extended an increased opportunity to perform by Carlo Ancelotti after joining the club on transfer deadline day.
Cup-tied for Everton’s 5-4 thriller against Spurs, King is a natural centre-forward alternative to Calvert-Lewin and could come in against Fulham if the 23-year-old is unable to feature. McLeish said:
The guy knows his way about the penalty box in the Premier League, so I thought that was a shrewd signing. Josh King has done well not only in the Premier League but also in international football and that is a great replacement.
Calvert-Lewin will not want to be out and he will not want to be out for very long, especially if Josh starts scoring goals. Everton will be looking for Josh to hit the ground running and he’ll get that long-awaited chance since he joined the club.
King has scored 48 goals in 161 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth, while he also has 51 caps with Norway to his name.
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Despite Richarlison’s capacity to operate as a centre-forward, King is a more natural alternative to Calvert-Lewin in that role.
He may not be an out-and-out replacement in terms of the way in which he is deployed, but his experience and prolific record proves he is up to the task of leading the line.
Everton simply would not have sanctioned a deal if the utility of signing King was absent. He is not simply there to provide backup but to compete meaningfully, and Fulham this weekend could be the ideal litmus test to examine whether he can stamp his authority in Calvert-Lewin’s absence.
