Ancelotti has opted against giving right-back Kenny and left-back Nkounkou substantial playing time in the first team, even when slots opened in both full-back positions due to injuries.
Kenny only has two appearances to his name in the Premier League since the current season kicked off, while Nkounkou’s involvement in the league ends with a solo outing against Newcastle United in November.
With the January transfer window rapidly approaching, Everton could send both defenders out on loan in a bid to find them more minutes, but Ball is of the view that the Toffees should opt against letting the players leave, provided the Merseyside giants do not add any new full-backs in the upcoming window.
Both first choice full-backs Lucas Digne and Seamus Coleman have been sidelined with injuries and Ball feels having Kenny and Nkounkou at his disposal would be better for Ancelotti should his defensive department become shorthanded again.
Ball wrote in his Liverpool Echo column: “It’s frustrating when you’re not playing games of football but you have to keep yourself ticking over because it’s your job, your profession.
“You have to try and catch the manager’s eye.
“I feel like where we are right now, and with a lack of a pre-season, nobody can leave the club and Everton have got to be very careful with the balancing act.
“With Nkounkou, they’ll obviously want him to get more game time, perhaps on loan, which I understand, but with our main full-backs out injured I’d rather keep him and Jonjoe at the club in January for selfish reasons.
“That could change if more quality is brought in, of course, and perhaps then they could potentially look at a loan for Nkounkou or for Jonjoe to find a career path elsewhere.”
Kenny had a one-minute cameo in last weekend’s 1-0 win against Chelsea at Goodison Park, while Nkounkou was not part of the matchday squad and it remains to be seen what kind of a role both youngsters play under Ancelotti going forward.
