Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has said goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will return to the starting line-up ahead of the Toffees’ game against Manchester United on Saturday.
Ancelotti dropped Pickford after a series of high-profile errors. Robin Olsen replaced Pickford in goal for Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle. The on-loan Roma stopper made excellent close-range stops from Allan Saint-Maximin and, in particular, Sean Longstaff.
But Ancelotti admitted swapping Pickford for Olsen wasn’t a permanent move. He insisted he would continue rotating his goalkeepers, with Pickford set to face Manchester United at Goodison Park.
He said of Olsen: “He played well and I can say to you he’s going to play again – but not against United.
Ancelotti: ‘Lot of trust in Jordan’
“In my career, I am used to rotating the goalkeepers. It happened at Real Madrid, it happened also at Napoli. It will not be the last time, of course.”
Despite Ancelotti stating 40-cap Sweden international Olsen was a “goalkeeper everyone trusts”, he also backed under-fire Pickford.
He added: “This doesn’t mean we don’t have trust in Jordan – we have a lot of trust in Jordan.
“There’s no doubt about this.”
Pickford faces battle for club and country
The Jordan Pickford of two or three seasons ago reflected manager Gareth Southgate’s England – talented, confident and assertive.
The former Sunderland goalkeeper made several stunning saves during England’s run to the World Cup semi-final, justifying his £25m fee when moving to Goodison Park.
However, since the beginning of the 2019/20 season Pickford has made five errors that have led directly to a goal. Those figures are the joint worst in the Premier League with Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka.
Pickford remainsl the preferred number one for England. However, with his starting spot at Everton less certain, Southgate may turn to Burnley’s Nick Pope or Manchester United’s Dean Henderson instead.
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