According to Paul Joyce of The Times, Yerry Mina could be out of action for ‘several weeks’ after ‘tearing a thigh muscle’ during a training session.
The 25-year-old will now miss Everton’s Merseyside derby with Liverpool on June 19-21, leaving Carlo Ancelotti with Michael Keane and Mason Holgate to choose from.
Mina has made 29 appearances across the board this season, scoring two goals and making one assist. The Colombian international has missed only five games from 34, but he could now be out of action for most of June. Time will tell.
Ancelotti left Mina on the bench in Everton’s last two Premier League games, starting Holgate and Keane at the heart of the defence. The Toffees shipped five goals, however.
Everton’s defensive record has been a problem all season, so Mina’s absence makes their job of keeping the opposition quiet a bit harder. The Blues have conceded 46 goals in 29 league games (1.58 goals-per-game), keeping just six clean sheets. Without Mina, Everton have shipped 2.25 goals-per-game on average.
Joyce doesn’t say when the central defender will return, but Ancelotti will have to continue without an important ahead of a meeting with one of the Premier League’s most prolific clubs (66 goals).