‘Still no lessons learnt’ – Lots of Everton fans react to huge end of season news

Lots of Everton fans have been reacting on social media after Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Mason Holgate, Yerry Mina and Fabian Delph will miss the remainder of the season through injuries.

Ancelotti addressed the trio’s hopes of featuring again before the end of the 2019/20 campaign during his pre-Sheffield United press conference on Saturday, in which confirmed that he will be without them for Everton’s two remaining Premier League games.

“All three are out for the rest of the season,” Ancelotti told the assembled press, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo.

“It’s only 10 days, so they will not be able to recover before the end of the season. I’m disappointed of course. When a player has an injury, we are always disappointed. But unfortunately it can happen, in this last period we have had a lot of games. We are lucky that we didn’t have a lot of problems in this aspect.”

The Blues were without Mina for the club’s last top-flight clash with the Columbian forced to sit out our 1-1 draw with Aston Villa having failed a late fitness test, with the muscle gripe still causing issues.

Holgate, on the other hand, was able to return for the first 16 minutes of the claret and blue affair, but the Doncaster-born centre-half was forced off early into his return from a shin injury that prevented his involvement against Southampton and Wolves.

Delph has been out for the longest period between himself, Mina and Holgate having been on the sidelines since March, meaning his debut Goodison Park campaign will end with 16 Premier League appearances, of which 13 were starts and none returned a goal or assist.

News of Everton being without Mina, Holgate and Delph for the final fixtures of the term naturally sparked an array of downbeat responses on social media…

https://t.co/kDTO29a35u pic.twitter.com/bpRMbzp0aZ

— Carolina Toffees wear a mask 😷 (@CarolinaToffees) July 18, 2020

No mason 😥 pic.twitter.com/F9i5kGrzbJ

— ⎊ carlo fantastico 💙🇮🇹 (@_jennifer1878) July 18, 2020

Not good… 😦 https://t.co/ubWk1RDY1l

— Fast Eddie 😷 (@FastEddieGB) July 18, 2020

From the misery also came frustration from some fans on social media, with a selection of the Blues fanbase using this as the latest ammunition to slate Delph as a poor signing following plenty of calls to flog him to Leeds United this summer…

Sad about Holgate and Mina but not Delph, he can go in the summer x https://t.co/QWWVnoi2Md

— Rhiannon (@Rhiannon0702) July 18, 2020

Still no lessons learnt from buying injury prone players over the years.

— ⚽️ Greg 🎧 (@bracewellsboots) July 18, 2020

The Delph signing at the time seemed clever. Thought it added leadership and winning experience. Instead it’s been one of the poorest signings of the past decade and that is a big statement. Waste of wages. https://t.co/UwykIGZ5hU

— Stuey Squires (@StueySquires) July 18, 2020

😂😂😂 Fabian delph great him thought I was bad https://t.co/rZ4IHSA9Mq

— Kieran Matthews (@kmatthews17) July 18, 2020

Ancelotti’s confirmation of Mina and Holgate being out for the rest of the season also led these fans to look ahead at who could step in, with 18-year-old prospect Jarrad Branthwaite again the likely option.

Branthwaite made his senior Everton debut in the 3-0 defeat to Wolves earlier this month and again stepped up to the challenge at home to Aston Villa when Holgate was forced off, with two clearances, two blocked shots, two tackles, a 50% aerial duel success rate and played 41 accurate passes (91%), per Sofa Score data.

Keane and Branthwaite to keep us up then. https://t.co/jiolZTwgGU pic.twitter.com/9n2FZ5YmRC

— Sean (@WFCSean) July 18, 2020

Jarad starting..

Things you love to see https://t.co/wZcCJfCHsh

— kyle (@Kyle_SP7) July 18, 2020