James Rodriguez will miss Everton’s trip to Southampton after being injured by ‘mistimed’ tackle from Virgil van Dijk, reveals Carlo Ancelotti as row over Jordan Pickford’s rash challenge on Liverpool defender rumbles on
- James Rodriguez is out of Everton’s trip to Southampton on Sunday afternoon
- The Colombian suffered an unspecified injury in the Merseyside derby
- He was injured by Virgil van Dijk, before Liverpool defender had to go off
James Rodriguez is out of table-topping Everton‘s trip to Southampton on Sunday, according to boss Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian revealed on Thursday that the Colombian superstar suffered an unspecified injury after a mistimed tackle from Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool‘s talismanic centre-back lasted only 10 minutes of the Merseyside derby himself before he suffered an ACL injury after a rash challenge from Jordan Pickford.
James Rodriguez is set to miss Everton’s trip to face Southampton on Sunday afternoon
The Colombian was on the end of a ‘mistimed tackle’ from Virgil van Dijk last weekend
The Everton goalkeeper’s tackle on van Dijk, and VAR’s failure to check whether it was a red card offence, has dominated the fallout from the 2-2 draw that kept Everton at the top of the Premier League after five games.
But now the Toffees will be without their star summer signing for Sunday’s visit to St Mary’s.
Ancelotti said: ‘Unfortunately, James had a problem during the game.
‘He had a mistimed tackle with Virgil van Dijk at the beginning of the game and I think he will not be available for the game against Southampton.’
Ancelotti also insisted that suggestions Pickford’s reckless tackle on van Dijk was pre-meditated are ‘too much’.
Rodriguez managed to play the full 90 minutes despite suffering the early blow last Saturday
Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the news on Thursday as he prepared to take his side to St Mary’s
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum continued the attack earlier this week by suggesting the goalkeeper was ‘stupid’ and made the challenge without concern for the player’s welfare.
Ancelotti has dismissed that and said everyone at the club is sorry about Van Dijk’s knee ligament injury, which has likely ended his season.
‘To be clear, we are really sorry for the injury of Virgil van Dijk,’ Ancelotti said. ‘Every one of us hopes he can recover soon and well.
‘There was this contact with Jordan Pickford: it was mistimed contact. But the fact the Premier League is so fast, it is not so difficult to arrive a little bit later.
Rodriguez’s injury comes after van Dijk suffered an ACL injury after a Jordan Pickford tackle
‘Jordan arrived a little bit later but his intention was to try to reach the ball. It was not to hurt Virgil van Dijk.
‘To say it was premeditated, and this and that, in my opinion, is too much. Virgil van Dijk knows this. Jordan is really sad, really disappointed [that Van Dijk is injured].
‘It was a strong contact, maybe mistimed, but sometimes in football it can happen.’
