Everton have suffered ‘a huge loss’ after their appeal over midfielder Allan’s red card was rejected, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
The 31-year-old was dismissed against Newcastle United in their intriguing Premier League encounter on 17 March and will now be forced to serve a three-game suspension.
What is the latest news involving Allan?
Allan was sent off in the 83rd minute in the 1-0 victory over the Magpies following a lengthy VAR review following his challenge on Allan Saint-Maximin.
Referee Craig Pawson showed the 10-cap Brazil international a straight red card after consulting the pitchside monitor, although the decision continued to split opinion amongst fans and pundits.
As a result, Allan was forced to miss the FA Cup defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace last time out and will also be absent for Everton’s next two league fixtures.
Up next for Frank Lampard’s charges is an extremely tricky encounter against West Ham United at the London Stadium, with the hosts still hopeful of securing a place in next term’s Champions League.
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However, Everton’s following encounter could prove to be pivotal in their fight to avoid relegation from the top-flight of English football.
The Toffees travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley on Wednesday 6 April. Sean Dyche’s side are only two places and four points behind them in the Premier League standings, and whoever comes out on top will surely fancy their chances of avoiding the drop.
What has O’Rourke said about Everton?
Allan arrived on English shores via a £21.7 million deal from Napoli in September 2020 and has been a mainstay in the starting XI ever since.
During Lampard’s short seven Premier League game reign, the South American has featured from the off six occasions, and O’Rourke believes his enforced absence will be a bitter blow.
He told GiveMeSport: “It’s a huge loss for Frank Lampard to lose Allan now for two games and two big games as well.”
How big a loss will Allan be?
As per FBref, Allan has ranked in the 98th percentile for pressures and the 92nd for tackles amongst players in his position over the last year.
Meanwhile, he has also averaged 2.9 tackles and 2.7 defensive dribbles per league game throughout 2021/22, bettering the tallies of his Everton teammates in both metrics, as per WhoScored.
It’s clear, therefore, that Allan’s absence from the base of the midfield could end up being extremely costly for Everton, but Lampard will surely be hoping his struggling side step up to the mark.