Jonty Banks

Sat 8 April 2023 17:10, UK

Everton captain Seamus Coleman sustained a knock in the final minutes of the 2-0 loss to Manchester United on Saturday (8 April) and will have an assessment on the injury over the coming days, according to Joe Thomas.

The Toffees defender was replaced by Nathan Patterson in the 87th minute of the clash at Old Trafford, which was Sean Dyche’s side’s first Premier League defeat in five games.

Before he was substituted, the 34-year-old was culpable for gifting Manchester United their second goal of the afternoon, failing to control the ball when under no pressure – a mistake that resulted in Anthony Martial poking home beyond Jordan Pickford.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday afternoon (8 April), Liverpool Echo journalist Thomas shared an update on Coleman.

He wrote: “Injury news: Seamus Coleman went off with a knock that will be assessed in the coming days.

“The other changes made by Sean Dyche today were tactical, rather than due to further injury concerns.”

Blow

Although Coleman was at fault for Martial’s second-half goal, the Everton captain has been in fine form since Dyche’s arrival on Merseyside.

The veteran netted the crucial winner in the 1-0 win over Leeds United in February, and has been a crucial cog in the defence that has kept clean sheets against Brentford, Arsenal and the Whites under Dyche.

In a relegation battle such as this season’s, having players in the dressing room of Coleman’s experience and possessing his leadership qualities is key.

The 34-year-old sets the standards at Goodison Park every week, and having him out injured doesn’t bode well for the club.

With a lack of alternative options in this full-back position, Dyche may be forced to shift Ben Godfrey from the heart of defence to the right flank or field the inexperienced Nathan Patterson.

Hopefully, the assessment over the coming days will clarify the situation and deliver a positive diagnosis ahead of the crunch clash against Fulham next Saturday (15 April).