An injury to Everton right-back Nathan Patterson is a “big blow” to the player and manager Frank Lampard.
That is according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who was speaking to This is Futbol about the latest news at Goodison Park.
Patterson is expected to be out for around four to five weeks with an ankle injury, which he suffered whilst on international duty with Scotland.
The £11.5m January signing from Rangers, who has been described as “promising” by pundit Danny Murphy, has been a regular for Lampard since the beginning of the campaign, but the former Chelsea player and manager will have to find an alternate solution to the 20-year-old over the next few weeks.
And O’Rourke believes that whilst it’s a disappointment to lose the full-back to injury, the club have a stable replacement available in Seamus Coleman.
He said: “So, a big blow for him, big blow for Frank Lampard as well to lose his starting right-back, but he does have a steady and able replacement in Seamus Coleman to come in at right-back in Patterson’s absence over the next few weeks.”
TIF Thoughts on O’Rourke’s comments…
We agree with O’Rourke and believe that Lampard will be extremely frustrated at the loss of Patterson, who was forming part of a defence that have only conceded six Premier League goals after seven games so far this season.
The 11-time Scotland international has played in all seven of the Toffees’ Premier League fixtures so far, playing in 100% of minutes available, and helping the side keep two clean sheets in that time, according to Transfermarkt.
We therefore think that Patterson’s loss over the next five weeks will be a bitter disappointment to both the team, and the Glasgow-born defender, who was enjoying his best run of form since arriving at Goodison Park at the start of the year.