Everton winger Kevin Mirallas has largely found himself frozen out of the team this season for a number of different reasons.
The Belgium international – who is currently away with his country as they play their final two 2018 World Cup qualifiers – was dropped against Chelsea on August 27 because manager Ronald Koeman wasn't happy with his attitude, and he has played just 21 minutes of Premier League football all season.
The wide man – who celebrated his 30th birthday on Thursday – was keen to rejoin former club Olympiacos towards the end of the summer transfer window and blasted the Merseyside outfit for not letting him go after it had slammed shut.
Meanwhile, Everton have been struggling in both the Premier League and the group stages of the Europa League and their Dutch manager is under increasing pressure to pick up more positive results.
While the Belgian perhaps hasn't conducted himself in the best way in recent months, he could make a difference to the out-of-form Toffees.
Here are three reasons Koeman should bring Mirallas back into the starting XI…
Quality in wide areas
Despite utilising the likes of Mirallas, Ademola Lookman and Yannick Bolasie last season, Koeman has tended to try and shoehorn all three of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Rooney and Davy Klaassen into his starting line-up in a 4-2-3-1 formation this term.
However, the fact that they would all prefer to play in the number 10 role rather than out wide is probably one of the main reasons that Everton have struggled for both creativity and goals so far this term, and using a player like Mirallas on the flank instead would certainly bring some extra quality and experience in wide areas that someone like Nikola Vlasic doesn't yet have.
His Everton record
While he may not exactly be a popular figure for Koeman or the Toffees faithful right now, Mirallas has shown during his Everton career that he can make a big impact.
The 30-year-old has scored 38 goals and provided a further 32 assists in 179 appearances in total for the Merseyside outfit, and with the club netting just four goals in their opening seven Premier League fixtures this season they are certainly in need of some quality in the final third right now.
Pace
When Everton have had Sigurdsson, Rooney and Klaassen in the same starting line-up this season, they have often appeared laboured and pedestrian as none of the aforementioned trio are especially blessed with pace.
That is especially a problem when the club has been playing away at the likes of Manchester United where most of their attacks would be on the counter, as they didn't have the players to get up the pitch quickly.
Mirallas is speedy and direct and he would prove to be far more dangerous on the break to give the Toffees an extra attacking dimension that they have been missing so far this term.
Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.