Sam Allardyce to study Everton squad options before making January plans

Sam Allardyce hopes he will get a chance to look at Everton’s entire squad before thinking about any January transfer plans.

Allardyce began his time in charge at Goodison Park on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Huddersfield and said afterwards he was keen to judge players not involved in that game as he weighs up a first chance to add to the squad next month.



High-profile signings Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez have so far struggled to make an impact in their first Premier League season and hugely experienced players, including Ross Barkley, Michael Keane and Leighton Baines were all unavailable for Allardyce’s first game in charge Everton.

Allardyce also hinted that a deal for Barkley to leave the club might already have been done before he replaced Ronald Koeman at the club.

“I think getting the players who are injured, getting them fit again, is a main priority before everybody starts talking about the January window,” Allardyce said after his side claimed three points thanks to goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

“I have to say, when I’ve looked at this season’s history of games played, players getting injured, it’s no wonder they have struggled in all honesty.

“The number of fixtures early on in the season, the amount of games played in the Europa Cup and then the League Cup and the Premier League and injuries on top of that.

“The new players haven’t been able, for me – especially the foreign players – to settle in and show what they can really do yet.

“So hopefully we can get more out of them and they can be more determined to show more than they have already because we’ll need them going into the Christmas and New Year period, which is going to be another hell of a battle.”