Manchester City and Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has named Everton's Yerry Mina as one of his toughest opponents, even though defender does seemingly deploy some questionable tactics.
Mina is regarded as the Toffees' strongest centre-back, although his Everton career has been punctured by numerous injury problems.
Last month it was confirmed the Colombian suffered a a high grade quadriceps tendon injury in the Blues' 3-1 loss at Newcastle United, potentially ruling him out until mid-April.
Mina will be a big miss for new manager Frank Lampard in that time, although Everton received a defensive boost this week with Ben Godfrey returning to full training after a layoff of his own.
LATEST: Everton take immediate Goodison action after suspending Usmanov ties
READ MORE: Lampard clarifies what happened with Usmanov and Moshiri before interview
The presence and effectiveness of Mina has been emphasised by Gundogan's comments, who picked out the former Barcelona man as one of his most challenging opponents in an interview with Bild (h/t Goal ).
But the City star claimed Mina is capable of leaving his mark in more ways than one.
"I also remember Yerry Mina from Everton," he said. "A tough Colombian centre-back. He’ll use his hands in a tackle, scratch or pinch your back when the referee isn’t looking. I’ve seen him do that once or twice.
"But not so much in a dirty way. He even smiles in your face in a friendly way, which makes him sympathetic in a funny way. I didn’t know how to pinch the back before."
It's testament to Mina that Gundogan referenced him, as the playmaker has come up against some of the best players in world football during his time playing for City, Borussia Dortmund and the German national team.
Mina has become renowned for his individual tussles with forwards in the Premier League, memorably duelling with Patrick Bamford against Leeds United earlier in the campaign.
Everton will be hopeful of pulling clear of relegation trouble before Mina makes his comeback and that the Colombian can provide a boost to the team's FA Cup push.
