Dyche insists Everton star Doucoure ‘doesn’t need to apologise’ after red card vs Tottenham

Everton manager Sean Dyche has backed Abdoulaye Doucoure after the midfielder was sent off during Monday night’s draw to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Mali international begins a three-match ban at Man Utd on this weekend. This is after he was sent off for pushing a hand into the face of Harry Kane,

Dyche was far from pleased with the Spurs striker in the aftermath but will not hold the action against Doucoure,

“He certainly doesn’t need to apologise. At the end of the day he knows you can’t raise your hands,” said Dyche.

“I thought at one point he might have snapped his (Kane’s) eyelash, which would have been tragic, but he seemed to be responding OK.

“He (Doucoure) is a very strong-minded character and I like that, he’s worked very hard so in a moment when it goes wrong he won’t be judged on that by me.”

Speaking on the incident, Jamie Carragher said: “Listen, the debate is not about the red card, Harry Kane should not go down for that. He should not be going down. It can still be a red card for putting your hand in somebody’s face, Doucoure is wrong and I’m sure Sean Dyche will tell him that. I wouldn’t go down there, as a player.

“I don’t think there’s nowhere near enough to make you go down, and again, if I’d done that on a pitch I’d be embarrassed

Everton are four matches unbeaten, their best run since October, and Doucoure’s place in a midfield three with Idrissa Gana Gueye and Amadou Onana has played a key role in that.

Former United midfielder James Garner, who has been restricted by injury to just eight appearances since signing in the summer, came off the bench late on Monday and could be in line for his first league start for the club.

“We don’t know if he (Doucoure) will be a miss or not,” added Dyche.

“You’ll have to wait and see because it’s a great opportunity for someone else to play.

“There are a lot of good players here and I believe in them all. Openings do come around so it is who steps in and can take it.”