Ancelotti admits Everton defender Mina sometimes makes mistakes
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti does not believe that Yerry Mina was affected mentally by being dropped for the Toffees match against Manchester United.
Mina started the first seven Premier League games of the season but found himself on the bench for the visit of United.
He then went on to endure a difficult evening for Colombia as they lost 3-0 to Uruguay, being dismissed late on.
Asked whether he felt being dropped at club level had impacted the 26-year-old, Ancelotti claimed that the Colombian was “a strong character”.
“No, I don’t think he was affected by this,” Ancelotti said (via Liverpool Echo).
“It was not a good game. The character of Yerry is strong, he is a strong character.
“Unfortunately sometimes he makes mistakes, as all of the players do. But he is still confident and has no problem to play.”
Mina made a good start to the season with Everton, but like many of his teammates, his form has dropped off in recent weeks.
As part of a Colombia side somewhat in disarray, he did not meet his usual standards against Uruguay but was not present as they lost 6-1 to Ecuador.
So far this season only Fabian Delph and Michael Keane have completed more accurate short passes per 90 minutes in the Everton squad, while he has won 2.9 aerial duels per 90 (via WhoScored).
With Keane, Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey all pushing for minutes, it is not a surprise to see Ancelotti experimenting with his options at centre-back and it is very likely that Mina will play a significant role going forward.
With Richarlison returning from suspension and Everton facing Fulham on Sunday, the Toffees just need a win to silence some of the questions that have arisen over the last few weeks.
In other Everton news, there is an Everton player that has become a doubt for Sunday’s meeting with Fulham