Everton manager Frank Lampard hopes to have Nathan Patterson back fit to be in contention for his side’s next away game at Fulham. The 21-year-old picked up an ankle injury with Scotland back in September that left him facing a race against time to recover before the World Cup break but he is now close to a return.
Patterson, a £12million buy from Rangers in January, had been keeping captain Seamus Coleman out of the team before he was sidelined but he could again be challenging the Republic of Ireland international for his spot by the time Everton go to face Marco Silva’s Fulham at Craven Cottage a week on Saturday. Lampard said: “He’s progressing, he’s training with us and will be fit hopefully for next week.”
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While Patterson’s return represents a welcome boost, frustrations continue over Yerry Mina who had returned to training last week only to suffer what Lampard described as “a little bit of a setback” ahead of the trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the shape of what the Blues boss stated was “a small calf injury.”
Asked whether Mina, who has played in just 80 out of 163 Premier League games since signing for the club for £27million from Barcelona in 2018, had recovered, Lampard said: “He’s not back yet, no.”
Meanwhile, the Colombian’s fellow centre-back Ben Godfrey is on the road to recovery but isn’t expected to be in competitive action until the end of the calendar year. Lampard said: “Ben will be training with us hopefully next week on the pitch, it’s early stages, but back which is great.”
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