David Moyes is hoping that Iliman Ndiaye can sign off on a high for Everton at Chelsea today before going to represent Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations. With the tournament in Morocco starting on December 21, the Blues boss confirmed that, along with all other participants, Ndiaye and international team-mate Idrissa Gueye – who is eligible again after serving a three-match ban – will be unavailable after this weekend.
Senegal will play their group games in Tangier on December 23 (Botswana), December 27 (DR Congo) and Benin (December 30), with the final in Rabat not taking place until January 18.
Ndiaye, who scored Everton’s last two goals at Goodison Park in the 2-0 win over Southampton on May 18, finished the 2024/25 season as their top scorer on 11 goals and after netting their first goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium as they defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 on August 24, he is currently joint top scorer on four alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Although the former Olympique Marseille player set up Thierno Barry for his first goal in a royal blue jersey in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last Saturday, Moyes is hoping he can get back on the scoresheet himself at Stamford Bridge – a ground where Everton haven’t won in the Premier League for over 31 years.
Asked if he thought Ndiaye will be looking to go off on a high now before AFCON, given he’s been quiet the last couple of weeks, Moyes said: “He has, aye, I agree.
“He had a great assist for Thierno but I think it would be good to get him a couple of goals. I hope he’s not keeping them for Senegal, I hope he’s scoring them for us.
“I don’t know how it is to be a player who is about to go and play in the Africa Cup of Nations. It’s the equivalent of our European Championship, maybe the players have got a little bit on their minds?
“Maybe it takes them off? Maybe they’re thinking I’m going to go and do something else?
“They’ll be under a lot of pressure from their countries probably as well, so it could have a little bit of an effect. But Ili’s been really good for us, probably our best player at different times this season.”
Ndiaye was predominantly deployed as a left winger last season, but this term, since the signing of Jack Grealish, he has been an effective performer down the opposite flank, the position he usually plays for his country.
And Moyes said: “People seemed to tell me that they thought he was a 10. I wasn’t sure.
“We’ve tried him and we’re not really sure that might be it. That’s not to say we still won’t use him there because he can play there, but I thought he’s looked much better when he’s been off the sides, more creative with his dribbling ability.
“Also, he’s an incredibly hard worker and does a lot of things for the team. We lost a little bit last year with the likes of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, who gave us that, so we’ve needed Ili to step up at different times, and I think he’s done that, he’s been good.”
Today’s game also sees in-form Dewsbury-Hall return to the club where he spent last season. Moyes faces a dilemma as to whether to push the 27-year-old further forwards again with Gueye’s return from suspension after some effective displays from deeper in midfield during his absence.
The Glaswegian gaffer always hoped his £25million purchase from Chelsea could bring goals though and said: “I knew a bit about Kiernan from when I’d spoken to Dean Smith about him a long time ago when he had him at Leicester. So, I’d got something in my brain from when he had spoke about him.
“I’d always thought he was a really good footballer but I wasn’t sure exactly what he was. When I spoke to him on the phone and I’d heard that he wanted to come, he saw himself as playing closer to being a 10 and that was good because it was what we needed as we were going to lose Abdoulaye Doucoure.
“You need your 10s to try and get you some goals and he told me on the phone that he thought he’d score goals and that’s what he does – and he’s not disappointed. I think he’s also someone who links up with really good footballers as well who want it.
“He and Jack Grealish have got a little bit going because of the way they play. I can see how he would be really good around boys who know how to play, where to play, when to play it, he’s a good footballer.”
Another potential change with Gueye’s return could be to move James Garner to right-back and Moyes conceded whoever played there would be up against it given the talent that Chelsea possess on the flanks. He said: “James Garner played brilliant against (Antoine) Semenyo (in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth), but we’ve also got to be careful with their wingers.
“They’re pretty quick, they’re flying machines – I watched them play in the summer. We’ve got that option of Jimmy and big Jake at the moment, but Seamus is injured so he’s not available.”
Following the last game, Nottingham Forest are understood to have contacted the PGMOL about the off-the-ball incident involving James Tarkowski that Sean Dyche complained about in his post-match press conference.
Although no retrospective action is set to be taken with the centre-back, Moyes, who didn’t think the barge merited a sending off, was asked whether he’d spoken to his captain about his actions.
He said: “I’ve not, but I should do really because with the world we’re in you’ve got to be careful. The action in the game, I had turned away and was looking at something else, but I watched it back on the telly and thought it could have been a yellow card.
“I didn’t think personally it was a red card but it’s the sort of thing where you don’t want to give the referees or VAR a situation where they might have a decision to make and we had just gone 1-0 up.
“I probably will have a word with him and just talk to him about it, but at the moment he is leading the team well and doing a lot of good things.”
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