Everton centre-back battle explained as Sean Dyche…

Everton centre-back battle explained as Sean Dyche makes 'fine lines' admission

“Fine lines” separate Everton’s centre-backs as they battle to win the approval of Sean Dyche during a crucial run-in that will influence the future of the club’s backline.

Blues boss Dyche made his first change to the partnership at the heart of his defence at Arsenal, bringing in Michael Keane for Conor Coady. He explained the decision was prompted by the need for rotation as his squad faced three games in a week.

The manager, who has named five defenders on his bench in recent matchday squads, acknowledged he has a job to “juggle” the players at his disposal. That is set to continue beyond this season and into the summer, with big decisions to come as Everton look to structure their defence for the future.

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Keane, who played for Dyche at Burnley, made his first league start of the season at the Emirates on Wednesday night. The decision symbolised the return of the 30-year-old to the first-team picture after a difficult campaign that had seen him on the fringes of the squad - his only previous league minutes having come after Mason Holgate was withdrawn during the second half at Brentford with injury.

Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina had already suffered significant injuries after starting in Frank Lampard’s first XI in the opening game of the season, suggesting Keane may have been as low as his sixth-choice centre-back. Explaining the decision to disrupt the Coady and James Tarkowski partnership, Dyche said it came down to the demands of three games in a week, adding: “We're working with the squad as we find it on a week-by-week basis.”

Godfrey and Holgate also received opportunities in the second half of the 4-0 defeat at Arsenal. Godfrey came on for Seamus Coleman, who was brought off with Everton staff managing his condition and seeking to protect a slight knee issue he is currently playing with. He is expected to be available for the trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Holgate was given 45 minutes in the centre of the midfield, a position he last adopted for Everton at what was then Dyche’s Burnley last season. He had been tested there in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Stockport County, so Dyche’s move to bring him on for Idrissa Gueye, whose mistake led to the Gunners’ vital second goal, was not completely spontaneous. Mina is now the only centre back not to have received minutes during Dyche’s first five games.

Asked what Keane had done to earn the right to step in for Coady ahead of his centre-back teammates, Dyche said: “[We have] lots of centre-halves to juggle, all good players in different ways, fine lines between all of them. He [Keane] did fine, it’s not an easy task going in there. Three games in a week came into our thinking, hence why the subs came on… We are trying to work with the group too. You don’t see [but] we are trying to push them hard in training, pushing, pushing, so we still monitor the game time, kilometres put on the clock, weekly training times, etc.”

Whether Dyche offers Coady an immediate return to the first XI will offer some insight into some of his longer-term thinking. The priority at Finch Farm is survival in the Premier League, but the centre-back situation will provide a conundrum that needs to be addressed in the summer. Mina is out of contract and if he does not remain at the club it will still leave Tarkowski, Holgate, Keane and Godfrey.

Dyche will have the option to make Coady’s loan move from Wolves permanent, something Lampard was keen to do before his dismissal. He will also have to consider the return of academy product Jarrad Branthwaite, who is currently enjoying a positive loan spell in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven. Dyche has spoken with the 20-year-old since his appointment.

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