Yerry Mina returns to Everton training ahead of Manchester City trip
Everton have been handed a huge boost ahead of their trip to Manchester City after the ongoing international break, with Yerry Mina now fit.
The Colombian centre-back missed the last four Premier League games due to a knock he sustained during last month’s international break, and the Toffees picked up just one point from those games.
Mina, 27, is now looking forward to returning to the pitch and has been spotted in training with the rest of the first-team at Finch Farm, with the club’s official website providing pictures of him during some of the sessions.
Huge
The Toffees defence was in a mess while the former Barcelona man was out, leaking eight goals in the next three games he missed.
Rafa Benitez used Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey as his option alongside Michael Keane at centre-back, but none impressed.
Everton struggled aerially in Mina’s absence, with West Ham United, Watford and Wolves all scoring headers from set-pieces due to his unavailability.
Those three losses piled pressure on Benitez, and the goalless draw against Tottenham Hotspur heading into the break did not change much.
With Man City next, the Spaniard knows a win or a draw against the reigning champions could be huge and help set the tone heading into the second half of the campaign.
Having a player like Mina available for the clash is massive, and preventing Pep Guardiola’s men from running riot could be key to Everton’s chances of leaving with a result.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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