Frank Lampard believes that Vitalii Mykolenko is growing into his role at Everton and he was delighted with the left-back's performance against Manchester United last time out.
Mykolenko was one of a host of strong performers for the Blues as they secured a 1-0 victory over Ralf Rangnick's side. Anthony Gordon's deflected strike in the first half was enough to seal what could be a crucial three points in the battle for survival.
And Everton's first January signing proved key to the win,, putting in a strong display both defensively and getting forward, which prompted a number of supporters to give him their personal man-of-the-match shouts. Lampard was pleased by what he witnessed but insists he is not getting carried away as he believes it still will take time for the Ukraine international to fully settle.
READ MORE: Frank Lampard hits back at claim Everton have been 'let off the hook' by Sean Dyche sacking
EVERTON DEBATE: Has Sean Dyche Burnley sacking helped or hindered Everton's survival chances?
When asked about the United match being Mykolenko's strongest performance to date for the club, the Blues boss responded: “I agree, absolutely, he’s growing into the team. And I won’t get carried away with that.
"He’s coming in as our natural left-back. With (Lucas) Digne leaving and him here now he’s the one. I know Jonjoe can play there, and we can find different solutions there.
"We also must remember that he is a player coming from a different league in January to a club under pressure, for different reasons, and then compound it with what is going on back home in the Ukraine. And I was delighted for him against Manchester United, purely on a performance level. It was exactly the performance I would want from him and more.
"Other full-backs coming into the team at this level from England, let alone from elsewhere, need time, so coming from a different league like he has, and with the situation, we have to give him a bit more time. But he’s shown short term it was a great performance and it will give him real confidence. But he has to carry on with that. He has potential to be a really important player for us."
Mykolenko made up part of an Everton back four that kept a clean sheet against Manchester United. But that in itself has perhaps created an interesting dilemma for Lampard, with the return of Yerry Mina to full fitness to consider.
The Blues manager added: “I think balancing what’s good for the team, the importance of individuals and what it means to that balance. It’s a tough decision for me every week selecting teams, it’s a tough one when you don’t get a great result and want to change it, a tough one when you do, because that means do you pick the same team?
“I think sometimes different opposition can give you different issues, which means you should change anyway. You see that a lot, with the top teams particularly. And it’s really the first time I’ve had lots of options in different areas, so it’s up for me to find the best balance for the team."
