Jonathan Woodgate says Yerry Mina ‘imperative’ to Everton survival hopes
Everton must keep key defender Yerry Mina fit if they are to have any chance of Premier League survival, according to Jonathan Woodgate.
The Columbian international came back into Frank Lampard’s starting XI after injury with immediate impact as the Blues beat Chelsea 1-0 on Sunday [May 1].
Despite their fate now being in their hands, the former Leeds United star outlined the Toffees’ away form as their biggest problem as they go head to head with his former club to stay in the Premier League.
He said via Leeds Live: “That’s the problem. When you look at their away form – six points all season away from home.
“The last victory was at Brighton on August 28. That isn’t good enough for a team of Everton’s standards. If they keep Mina fit and they keep that spine they’ve got more of a chance, but their home form is imperative.”
Leader.
Mina has been a huge miss when absent this season.
His importance to this Everton team rivals that of Dominic Calvert-Lewin – who has also spent a long time on the treatment table – because the Blues’ defence looks disastrous without him in it.
The 27-year-old is a rock at the back, a towering presence that Premier league attackers don’t want to face because they know he won’t give them an easy game.
He leads the defence excellently, helping it become the resolute unit that saw the Toffees beat Chelsea 1-0 on the weekend.
Bizarrely, helping his teammates is not his biggest strength. Mina continuously winds up the opposition players and completely puts them off their game.
He was after Kai Havertz all game and which not only resulted in the german being booked but also failed to have an impact on the match because he was so annoyed.
Having him fit will be a huge boost to Lampard’s Premier League survival.
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