Jordan Pickford said the injury suffered by Everton teammate Ben Godfrey was "tough to see" after the centre back was stretchered off during the season opener with Chelsea.
Godfrey suffered a fractured fibula while challenging Kai Havertz in the early stages of the first half. The incident unfolded just yards from Pickford and in front of the Gwladys Street crowd. Godfrey is expected to be out for around three months after undergoing surgery on Monday.
England number one Pickford, who wore the captain's armband in the continued absence of club captain Seamus Coleman, made his 200th appearance for the Blues in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. He was only beaten by a Jorginho penalty on the stroke of half-time. Pickford said the side could take confidence from the game despite the result, praising his teammates' defensive display and attitude during the hard-fought encounter. He believes Everton's players have the "commitment and desire" to be competitive in the Premier League this season.
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Pickford's leadership credentials were burnished in last season's relegation fight - particularly when Chelsea visited Goodison Park on May 1. The 28-year-old made the official 'save of the season' from Cesar Azpilicueta then followed it with a stunning point-blank stop from Antonio Rudiger. Against the backdrop of an intense Goodison Park atmosphere, Everton held on for a win that kickstarted the survival bid.
Chelsea's return saw Pickford lead the team out for the second time in his Blues career - the first having been the 3-2 defeat Burnley in April. While Everton were unable to take any points from the game, he said they could draw positives from the match. Pickford said: “We can take a lot of confidence from the Chelsea game. They’re a top side, but our commitment, attitude and desire with and without the ball were very good. We’ve got to take the positives from the game going into Villa, because I think there were quite a few. Our defensive work was very good, and I think it was a good display all-round. On another day, we could definitely have got something. The fans were brilliant, too, and we know we’ll start to pick up results.”
One clear sign of progress was the home side's defence of corners - a significant weakness last season and during pre-season. Everton conceded 16 against Chelsea but defended them with relative comfort - Mason Holgate playing a key role. Holgate was brought on early in the first half after Godfrey was stretchered off with the fractured fibula he has since had surgery on.
Pickford told the Everton club website : “It was very tough to see Ben suffer an injury like that. We just hope he recovers as quickly as possible. Mason came straight into the game and we had a spell were we had to defend a lot of corners, and he was there heading the majority of the balls away. That shows our team spirit – that everyone is ready to come on and contribute, even if they’re not starting. The commitment and desire is there.”
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