Frank Lampard has revealed that Everton will be without a handful of their first-team players for their clash with Leeds United on Saturday.
The Toffees go into the match at Goodison Park in abysmal form having won just once in their last 15 Premier League games.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side will be desperate to take advantage of those struggles as they look to extend their six-point gap to the relegation zone.
They will be boosted by the news of Everton’s absentees given a number of the key players at Elland Road are still unavailable themselves through injury.
Lampard claimed that Yerry Mina will not feature in the defence while Leeds academy graduate Fabian Delph and Demarai Gray, who scored at Elland Road back in August, are both also out.
“Yerry Mina’s an unfortunate injury which will be probably between eight and 10 weeks,” the Everton boss said in his pre-match press conference.
“It’s a strong injury around his quad, it’s disappointing for us all. In the week I’ve been here, I’ve realised he’s a big leader in the group and a top player obviously.
“Demarai Gray won’t be fit for Leeds but hopefully it’s a minor knock around his hip. We’re expecting him to be fit for next week with some luck.
“Fabian Delph’s not ready yet, he’s hopefully a couple of weeks away, making good progress.”
There are a number of players already ruled out for Saturday’s hosts with longer term injuries and Lampard has been left particularly short in the defensive department.
Their big absentee at the moment remains Abdoulaye Doucoure who is unlikely to return until March at the earliest while Ben Godfrey was withdrawn after just 14 minutes in the FA Cup win against Brentford.
He is likely to be out for a similar timeframe, if not longer, with a hamstring injury, leaving Lampard with a real selection headache.
“We’ve got options, they’re two big injuries for us at centre back, I was very excited to work with players like Ben and Yerry, international players,” added the former Chelsea head coach.
“But we have got options and players there who have got to step up and who have been stepping up, to be fair.
“Michael Keane, Mason Holgate and we’ve got Jarrad Branthwaite so the options are becoming tight and you always want to have a full squad especially in the position we’re in.
“I won’t complain too much, it’s just a fact that we’re missing big players that would damage any squad.”
In the midst of all the negative injury news at Everton, there is a slight reprieve as Lampard confirmed that star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be in the squad on Saturday.
Although, he refused to be drawn into discussion over whether the England international will be in the starting XI against Leeds.
“Dominic’s in the squad, he was on the bench obviously at Newcastle and he’s in the squad for tomorrow.
“[Whether he will start] is for us to decide, he’s been working all week with us so we’ll decide that for tomorrow.”
