Frank Lampard drops big selection hint ahead of Liverpool v Everton
Frank Lampard has dropped a big hint today (Friday 22 April) that Everton defender Yerry Mina could be rested against Liverpool.
The towering defender has recently returned to the Toffees’ first team but Lampard is sceptical about whether to pick him for this crucial derby game.
Burnley have closed the gap with the Toffees to just one point having beaten Southampton on Thursday evening.
Lampard said about Mina, as quoted by Liverpool Echo: “That’s a decision I’ll have to make closer to the game, because of the tight turnaround.
“He’s an important player to us and we’ve got to understand we’ve got six more games after this.
“That’ll be one where I have a good communication with Yerry to make sure it’s the right decision for us.”
Good decision?
Mina made his return to the first team in almost two months on Wednesday in the 1-1 draw against Leicester City.
There should be no reason why he can’t play against the Reds when he is fully fit.
At the same time, it’s understandable why Lampard wants to save him for the remaining six games. He hasn’t played back to back games since October, and the club need to be cautious with him.
It’s important he stays fit and makes contributions in winnable games for the club.
No one wants to see the Toffees losing against their derby rivals, but the fact remains that it would require an extraordinary performance to get something out of Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side has the best home record in the league, while the Toffees have the worst record away from home. There is little optimism that the Toffees can get something from this game on Sunday.
Lampard is probably being pragmatic here and it is increasingly likely that Mina won’t be used this weekend.
In other Everton news, Ray Parlour sets Everton points target from “vital” games and says he wants Goodison Park “rocking“
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