Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that Everton’s James Rodriguez asked to be substituted during the Toffees’ 3-1 defeat against Manchester United.
Rodriguez was tired
Rodriguez came back into the side after missing the last match, against Newcastle United. However, he played just 80 minutes, with him coming off despite Everton still being in the match at 2-1 down.
After the match, Ancelotti was asked why he decided to take off the £31.5m-valued Colombia international (Transfermarkt). He replied:
“He was OK, he was tired.
“This week he did 80 minutes and he asked me to change it because he was tired but no physical problem.”
Not the best news for Ancelotti
Of course, even with James still on the pitch, there is no guarantee that Everton would have been able to get something from the game. However, he is one of their most talented and influential players – he already has three goals and four assists in eight games since making the move from Real Madrid in the summer.
This was a moment in the match when Ancelotti will have been wanting his star men to stand up and be counted – instead, Rodriguez asked to be replaced. Hopefully, it was just a case of a lack of fitness for the 29-year-old, and he will be ready in the future to play a huge role when Ancelotti needs him to.
In other news, one football lauded this Everton star against United.