Everton defender Nathan Patterson will reportedly be sidelined for six weeks as a result of the knee injury he sustained during Scotland's 3-0 victory over Ukraine on Thursday night.
The defender, who was forced to demonstrate patience following his £11m move from Scottish giants Rangers in January, has been an ever-present for the Toffees so far this season, playing every minute of the Premier League season under Frank Lampard.
Having excelled in his maiden Merseyside derby earlier this month, where his immense defensive qualities kept Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez quiet in the stalemate at Goodison Park, his injury comes as a massive blow for both Lampard and Everton who will now be forced to embark on the busiest month in Premier League history, before the division breaks for the World Cup in Qatar, without their first-choice right-back.
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For the 20-year-old, six weeks on the sidelines would appear to be the extent of his injury, according to the Times. Patterson's diagnosis set to be confirmed when he visits a specialist on Tuesday morning.
A six-week lay-off would see the defender sidelined until the first week of November, just days before the final fixture of the first half of the Premier League season. It would mean Patterson would miss seven games in total; including the clash at home to Manchester United and the trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the Scotland international could be back in time for the Blues' League Cup tie away at Bournemouth on November 8, before making a return to Premier League action at the Vitality Stadium just four days later as Everton and the Cherries lock horns once more.
But with Patterson's country failing to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar this winter, having been defeated in the play-offs by Ukraine in June, the extended break between November and December can assure he is able to recover accordingly, with Everton arranging a mid-season tournament in Australia for those not involved in the showpiece event.
Games Patterson could miss:
Southampton (A) - October 1
Manchester United (H) - October 9
Tottenham (A) - October 15
Newcastle (A) - October 19
Crystal Palace (A) - October 22
Fulham (A) - October 29
Leicester (H) - November 5
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