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Everton hit by new Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure injuries in Celtic clash
Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure both suffered injuries for Everton as a result of the friendly with Celtic in Australia, Joe Thomas reports.
The Toffees played out a goalless draw with Ange Postecoglou’s side, before winning a penalty shoot-out 4-2 with Anthony Gordon scoring the decider.
But Frank Lampard, already down one midfielder after Tom Davies suffered a dreadfully-timed injury in training prior to the game, saw two more of his players pick up problems during the match in Sydney, with Thomas sharing the latest.
Writing on Twitter on Sunday morning (20 November) the Liverpool Echo reporter said: “Injury latest: Yerry Mina faces a scan on his hamstring after coming off at half-time against Celtic.
“Abdoulaye Doucoure also suffered a knock, extent of that issue not yet clear.”
Mina had only just returned to fitness after picking up an injury in the season opener against Chelsea on 6 August, to play in the 4-1 Carabao Cup loss at Bournemouth.
Doucoure also started that game, and played the full 90 against Chelsea, but has otherwise only featured six times off the bench all season.
Cursed luck
The Australian tour is starting to look like that much more of a gamble with three players already going down, and three who have all had their fair share of bad luck in recent months.
The trio are out of contract in the summer, and none will benefit from an another absence at this point if they are to have any hope of remaining at the club past that point.
With Everton not returning to action until late December there is at least recovery time currently, but none are currently starters and new injuries will damage their prospects of convincing Frank Lampard that they can help address the recent slide.
Mina’s injury problems have been almost unbelievable and likely to have already put an end to his chances of getting a new deal, even before he was replaced at half time against Celtic.
Doucoure had been a regular pick for Lampard last season, but a hamstring problem earlier this campaign coincided with the arrivals of Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye and James Garner, and has largely put him to the back of the queue since.
With form having gone out the window Lampard will be needing all the help he can get to turn things around, and three injury issues in Australia already won’t be what he envisaged.