Carlo Ancelotti faces crucial selection dilemma against Burnley – opinion

Carlo Ancelotti takes charge of his first game as the new Everton manager on Boxing Day when they welcome Burnley to Goodison Park. One of his first decisions after assessing his squad in training will be deciding what formation to deploy against the Clarets, and who fits into that system. Yet the Italian manager’s biggest dilemma will come in the form of who he decides to lead the line.

Regardless of which formation Ancelotti elects for, likely either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2, top scorer Richalison will operate either as a left-winger or striker. But the other central slot is up for grabs, and three players are vying for that position. Previous boss Duncan Ferguson’s preferred choice was Everton academy graduate Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Englishman has scored five Premier League goals this season, but that does not paint the full picture. Three of those goals have effectively been meaningless, coming in games where Everton have lost 3-1 against Bournemouth and to Manchester City by the same scoreline, along with a 3-2 defeat to Brighton. Though to his credit, Calvert-Lewin did score a brace against Chelsea to seal a 3-1 victory.

Another option for Ancelotti to consider is Cenk Tosun, and he has not been in spectacular form this season for the Toffees scoring once in five appearances, though for Turkey he has been scintillating. Throughout 2020 European Championship qualifying the striker found the back of the net five times in as many starts. Tosun has an eye for goal, but he has just failed to fully acclimatise to England since arriving two years ago in January. Ancelotti could be the man to restore his confidence domestically and get the Turkish striker firing on all cylinders, as he did for Besiktas when he scored 20 Super Lig goals before joining Everton.

Alternatively, the Italian manager could turn to compatriot Moise Kean. His move from Juventus over the summer has been nothing short of disastrous, failing to score in 13 appearances. Ancelotti’s soft-touch could be precisely what the young Italian needs after having his confidence shattered by Ferguson, who took the striker off just minutes after being introduced as a substitute.

Based on his performances with Juventus and the Italian national side, scoring eight in sixteen appearances, Kean has the most promise of Ancelotti’s three options. The young Italian should be the man Ancelotti puts his faith in, to build up his confidence, for the game against Burnley.