An explanation for the absence of star attacker Richarlison from Everton’s matchday squad to face Arsenal has been provided on Sunday evening.

Frank Lampard’s Toffees are of course set to return to action in short order.

After securing the club’s top-flight status for another year courtesy of a comeback 3-2 downing of Crystal Palace in midweek, the Toffees will see out their campaign at the Emirates, in a Premier League meeting with the aforementioned Arsenal.

Though the day’s visitors have little to play for in the clash, Arsenal will be desperate for all three points, amid feint hopes of leapfrogging city rivals Tottenham into the top-4 by the close of the evening’s fixtures.

Everton, in turn, could face a tough assignment at the Emirates.

It therefore came as a major surprise when, as alluded to above, a key member of Lampard’s first-choice XI was nowhere to be seen upon the club’s latest matchday XI being unveiled.

The player in question? Richarlison:

TEAM NEWS!

Frank makes 6⃣ changes as Tom Davies makes his first appearance since November. COYB!

#ARSEVE pic.twitter.com/dH9VAaD5wR

— Everton (@Everton) May 22, 2022

Chatter had therefore since quickly spread across the Everton fanbase, amid the suggestion that the Brazilian may have simply been afforded the evening off, in a bid to recuperate on the back of a draining few weeks.

This, however, is seemingly not the case.

As per Everton insider ‘The Bobble’, viewed as highly reliable amongst Blues circles, Richarlison has in fact been forced to sit out in north London owing to what is described as a ‘minor injury’:

Tom Davies, Jonjoe Kenny, Jarrad Branthwaite, Dele Alli, and Asmir Begovic all start for Everton for their visit at Arsenal today.

Richarlison misses out due to a minor injury

— The Bobble (@ElBobble) May 22, 2022

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