Ronald Koeman has refused to rule out giving Ademola Lookman his first Everton start just weeks after his £10 million capture.
The 19-year-old was on target in his first outing since joining the Blues as a substitute in the 4-0 hammering of Manchester City last weekend.
Koeman previously admitted that he had been impressed by Lookman’s ability to adapt to life at Goodison Park within days of his arrival from Charlton Athletic.
And the Everton manager has hinted that he is keen to preserve the forward’s first-team status following an impressive start to his Premier League career.
He said: “I think we will be keeping him fairly close to the first team.
“I am really impressed by the young boy and what he is showing us.
“Not just in the last couple of minutes against Man City, although that was a big moment for the boy and everybody else because it made the result that bit more special.
“But you can tell from his attitude and his quality in the training sessions that he can be a really top player.”