Everton boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that he would be open to persisting with Cuco Martina at left-back in Leighton Baines’ absence instead of taking a gamble on an unknown quantity, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
The Toffees boss has said that he has been looking at other options with Baines confirmed to be out for a long period of time. However, he is yet to find the right player in this position.
Martina has filled in at left-back despite being a natural right-back and has got the manager’s backing to continue doing this in the short-term whilst they try and find a solution to the problem.
Everton could also use a youth team player but with another two in the back four in the shape of Jonjoe Kenny and Mason Holgate, the Everton boss is not prepared to take this undue risk on his defensive line.
The boss spoke about the situation.
The ones who are available, and there aren’t that many, are mostly what other teams don’t want.
So you have to pay a lot of money for a player somebody doesn’t want to sell – and that is a great difficulty in this window, to look for a left-sided player, a left-footed full-back, which is obviously one of the positions we are light in.
Our balance is not very good because we don’t have anybody like that apart from Bainesy.
Allardyce also praised Martina after some sturdy performances of late for the club.
I think Cuco Martina is a far better player than he is being given credit for, and that’s because defensively he is very solid,”
But at the end of the day, when we are conceding goals like we are, you want a good steady full-back in that position.
After all, whoever who is going to play there on Wednesday needs to handle Mahrez!
