Rafa Benitez rules Yerry Mina out for Everton clash v Wolves
Everton will be without the services of Yerry Mina for their game against Wolves on Monday night, Rafa Benitez has confirmed.
The Colombian centre-back has not featured for the Toffees since October 2, which was prior to the international break.
When asked about whether or not the 27-year-old would be fit for the Wolves game, Benitez replied negatively, as shared by The Liverpool Echo.
He also hoped to have midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure fit after the international break in November, which is a boost, given how he was diagnosed to be out for longer initially.
Benitez said, “Doucoure is getting better, it seems like he’s progressing well. I cannot say how long exactly, but at least a couple of weeks.
“With the international break, hopefully after he will be fine. It’s a big miss for us, but at the same time it’s an opportunity for other players to show their level.”
Mixed bag
On the one hand, it’s good to see Doucoure’s return coming so soon as he is one of Everton’s most important and reliable custodians.
On the other, Mina’s hamstring injury is seeming to cause a huge hindrance and we’re unsure how long it will keep him out.
Ben Godfrey and Michael Keane have both been underwhelming the season and Benitez’s side have looked much better with Mina’s presence in the back line.
Wolves have started the season well and could look to cause all sorts of problems to this frail Toffees defence.
If Keane is to retain his spot in the eleven once Mina is back, this is the perfect opportunity for him to stake his claim.
Godfrey, while expected to be the Colombian’s centre-back partner for the season, has also to take his game up a level, having stagnated over the last six months.
Conceding five to relegation contenders is never a good thing, but these players need to put the Watford result behind them and focus on the task ahead of them.
In other Everton news, a rarely-seen Toffees player now feels fit as ever & could address a major problem
Be sure to follow Goodison News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on Everton and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Campbell.