David Moyes has provided an Everton injury update on Vitalii Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson.
Both full-backs were absent from the match-day squad as the Toffees crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of AFC Bournemouth. The Toffees suffered a 2-0 loss, which means it will be the final cup game to take place at Goodison Park.
Mykolenko is Everton’s only recognised left-back but was absent with a calf problem. Patterson has largely been a substitute but has been used as an option off the bench in the past three games.
Everton turn their attention to facing Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, which will be the final one to take place in Goodison Park.
Moyes has admitted Patterson is set to miss out and Everton are awaiting more news on Mykolenko. The Blues boss said: “It was only Myko felt his calf this morning when I saw him. We had the chance we could change it and it was easy enough yet. I have no idea yet of the outcome but he just felt it a bit tight.
“He [Patterson] felt his hamstring in training. That’s why he wasn’t here, he had a tight hamstring. I would think Wednesday would be too soon for him probably.”
Everton are set to be without three strikers in Dominic Calvert-Lewin (hamstring), Armando Broja (ankle) and Youssef Chermiti (thigh) while versatile forward Dwight McNeil continues his recovery from knee surgery. Blues captain Seamus Coleman was missing against Bournemouth with an ongoing calf complaint while Lyon loanee Orel Mangala will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his ACL.
Everton were masters of their own downfall against Bournemouth and were well below the required standards in the first half. They gave the Cherries a golden chance to open the scoring when Blues captain James Tarkowski hacked down Antoine Semenyo inside the box. Semenyo stepped up and fired the penalty beyond Jordan Pickford.
Then two minutes before half-time, Tarkowski gave away possession cheaply and Daniel Jebbison punished Everton. The Toffees did improve after the break and hit the woodwork three times – one coming from a Charly Alcaraz free-kick on his debut.
On the loss, Moyes said: “It was probably not our day when it comes like that but at least we showed bit of gumption in the second half and tried to get ourselves back into the game. We conceded two terrible goals, two really poor goals, but we kept at it, tried not to give them too many opportunities. Jordan [Pickford] had one good save in the second half but it was just wasn’t going to go in. All the players we introduced made a big difference in the game, the players who came on helped us and gave us more energy, so I’m hoping those players between now and the end of the season will be a big positive and help us.
“Bournemouth pressed us really well, which we knew, we were well aware of it. We made a couple of poor decisions with the ball but part of trying to improve is there are always going to be things that are not going to go quite well well and today things didn’t go quite as well.”
‘No idea yet’ – David Moyes explains Everton double injury blow as eight players could miss Liverpool derby
