On the eve of the new Premier League season, journalist David Hughes has outlined a fear he has in regards to one of Everton’s brightest stars.
After making it all the way to the Copa America final, and then going one step further by winning gold at Tokyo 2020, Richarilson has had a very busy summer.
Having immediately joined up with Everton after the conclusion of the Olympics, Hughes has claimed that the forward could be doing himself some damage if he doesn’t get enough rest ahead of a new league campaign with the Toffees.
Talking on Royal Blue: The Everton FC Podcast, Hughes said: “Not only has he played in the Olympics all the way to the final, wins it – he also went all the way to the final with Brazil in the Copa America the month before. So he finished the season, Copa America, then the Olympics, and then straight back into the season.”
He later drew comparisons with a rival player: “I think of the likes of Sadio Mane, you know, last year. And he looked so far off his best. And I think he was just so fatigued.
“And you know, are we gonna see a version of that with Richarlison this year, just the fatigued version?”
TIF Thoughts on Richarilson and Everton…
There have certainly been rumours that the Brazilian could be involved in Everton’s first league campaign of the season. The club will likely be assessing his fitness in the training sessions before the game.
Playing in the 2018 World Cup, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, and then having a disrupted break due to the pandemic ultimately meant Sadio Mane didn’t have much of a rest in the time leading up to last season – a season in which he didn’t quite perform at to his best ability.
If Everton don’t want the same fate to befall their Brazilian talisman, they may want to keep him on the sidelines for a little while longer yet.