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BBC reporter shares Ben Godfrey injury update from Everton clash with Chelsea
Everton say Ben Godfrey has a “serious lower leg injury” after he was stretchered off against Chelsea, according to BBC reporter Rob Schofield.
The defender was taken off after he came off worse in an early challenge with Kai Havertz, as he attempted to rescue the situation from his back-pass.
An eight-minute delay followed the incident as the injury curse in the Toffees squad struck early, before fellow centre-back Yerry Mina was also withdrawn in the second half with a problem of his own.
Schofield wrote on Twitter from Goodison Park on Saturday evening (6 August): “Everton have told me that Ben Godfrey has a serious lower leg injury and has been taken straight to Aintree Hospital to be assessed.”
Mason Holgate replaced Godfrey in the early stages, and loan signing Ruben Vinagre came on for Mina, but the problems that plagued the Everton backline last season have reared their heads early in the new campaign.
Ominous
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The performance wasn’t bad in the match against Chelsea, although the 1-0 loss to the manager’s former side was disappointing.
The lack of a striker caused by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury and Salomon Rondon’s suspension meant the team lacked a cutting edge.
Far more concerning is the fact that both the key defenders that were missing for extended periods last year and plunged the defence into disarray appear to have joined the striker on the injury list.
The news on Godfrey doesn’t sound good at all and is a major blow to both him and the squad, with Frank Lampard looking at more gaps to fill.
At the very least they now have James Tarkowski in the building, but the pursuit of Conor Coady looks all the more pressing after the opening game.
More signings are on the way, and if they can be completed there was enough from this game to encourage fans that with the right additions this squad will be capable.
But if the injuries mount up at the pace they have done so far then no manager can account for that.