Despite making a positive start to the Premier League campaign by winning four of their opening five top-flight matches, Everton have struggled since then and taken just six points from their last eight games.

The Toffees are still seventh in the table, but manager Ronald Koeman will be concerned about their form and failure to create and convert their chances in recent weeks.

The Merseyside outfit have, perhaps, been too reliant on Romelu Lukaku to score their goals, so maybe it is time a player on the fringes is given a chance in the starting XI.

Everton signed Oumar Niasse for £13.5m from Lokomotiv Moscow midway through last season, but the Senegal international has made just seven appearances in all competitions since and has failed to impress Koeman.

But with the Toffees struggling at this current time, here are THREE reasons why Niasse must be given a chance in the Everton first-team…

Form

While he may not have scored in those seven appearances for the first-team – with the majority of those outings coming from the substitutes’ bench – Niasse has been in fine form for the U-23 side this term.

The 26-year-old has netted seven goals, including one against Southampton on Monday with a brilliant finish from close range - something that the senior side couldn't repeat at St Mary's.

A striker in form is always a good thing and maybe it is time for the Senegalese attacker to be given an opportunity by Koeman.

Attitude

After being frozen out of the side and not even getting a squad number from Koeman in the summer, you might have expected Niasse to possibly cause problems behind the scenes.

However, the Senegalese attacker appears to have got his head down and worked hard as he looks to grasp any opportunity in the first-team, or for a move away from the club in the future – shown by his positive attitude and goalscoring form for the U-23s.

The Everton attack

The Toffees have managed just one shot on target in their previous two away matches in the Premier League, and when you saw the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman missing good chances in the defeat to Southampton, you wondered how different it could have been with an in-form striker on the pitch.

Everton are often reliant on Romelu Lukaku but nothing seems to be going for the Belgian at the moment, and perhaps he needs some more competition up top.