Everton: Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina spotted back among senior teammates
Frank Lampard has welcomed defenders Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina back to Everton first-team training as they continue their injury recoveries.
The Toffees have been without both players for the vast majority of the season and had to reinforce their squad with Conor Coady late in the summer window as a result.
Pictures emerged on Thursday (15 December) via Liverpool Echo reporter Joe Thomas’ personal Twitter account with both wrapped up warm in the freezing cold Merseyside air.
“Good to see Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina out on the pitch at first-team training as they continue their injury comebacks,” he said.
Godfrey has not played a single minute of senior football since the opening day of the season against Chelsea while Mina managed to play 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup against Bournemouth prior to the World Cup break.
Backup
Coady and James Tarkowski may have struck up a partnership in the Everton defence but they can’t be expected to play every single game and Lampard needs Godfrey and Mina to be ready to cover.
Given the poor results of late, the boss may even be tempted to drop one of the established in favour of the returning duo or change the system entirely to get three centre-halves on the pitch.
The defence hasn’t been a particularly big issue though for Everton this season with a severe lack of goals and a natural striker in form being the main cause for their 17th-place in the division.
The priority in January has to be a top striker who can allow Dominic Calvert-Lewin time to find some form again and with Godfrey and Mina on their way back, a defender may not be on the agenda.
Reece Welch offers an extra option should he be promoted from the Under-21s to the senior team permanently.