Early Everton team news v Man City: Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina updates emerge
Everton have received a huge boost ahead of their Premier League game against Manchester City as Dominic Calvert-Lewin has returned to the side, as confirmed by Frank Lampard.
Calvert-Lewin has made only four starts in the Premier League this season and didn’t feature since Everton’s 2-0 defeat against Leicester City on 5 November.
Lampard also confirmed that Yerry Mina came off with a cramp against Wolves and felt a “low-level sensation” around his hamstring, and he will be assessed ahead of the game on Saturday (31 December).
“Lampard says Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in the squad for Man City. Doesn’t go further on how close he is to getting on the pitch. “Having Dominic back in the fold is a great thing for us”,” as relayed by Joe Thomas of Liverpool Echo.
“Yerry Mina came off with cramp against Wolves and had a ‘low level sensation’ around his hamstring. Lampard will find out today whether he is available. Any other issues? Lampard says a few players, like him, have been under the weather (doesn’t say which players).”
Boost
It is indeed very good news to have Calvert-Lewin back on the side, but Lampard is most likely to bring him from the bench.
The England striker is short of match fitness at the moment and it doesn’t make sense to draft him into the starting line-up straight away at the Etihad Stadium.
City are in great form at the moment and they are one of the contenders for the league title once again. They are heading into this game on the back of a 3-1 win against Leeds, and it will require a mammoth effort from the Toffees to get something from this game.
The Toffees have been really poor away from home this season, but they can frustrate the home side by staying resolute at the back.
The situation of Mina is really frustrating. It seems like he cannot even manage to stay fit for two to three games in a row, and the club should look to sell him in January.