Nathan Patterson is in Sean Dyche's 'thinking' after Everton were dealt a major injury blow ahead of their season run-in.
The ex-Burnley manager is desperate to ensure the Merseyside team avoid the drop to the English Championship with his side sitting just outside the bottom three but level on points with Nottingham Forest and just two points ahead of Leicester City. But now Dyche has a major injury to contend with after club captain Seamus Coleman limped off in the 2-0 defeat to Man United.
However, the Irishman's knock could offer Scotland star Patterson a pathway back in to the starting eleven. The former Rangers man has been somewhat conspicuous by his absence at Goodison despite featuring for Steve Clarke's side in the previous two EURO 2024 qualifying matches against Cyprus and Spain.
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The 21-year-old has managed just over an hour of football in the Premier League this year after suffering from an injury. And Dyche admits its as much about match fitness for Patterson than anything else, but that he is in contention.
He said pre-Fulham: “He’s [Coleman] got a niggly hamstring which will need a bit of time to settle down, I think, and he’s been in fine form, so obviously that’s another awkward one for us.
“He shouldn’t be too long, but he won’t make it for the weekend."
On Patterson's fitness he added: "It's as much about game time with Pat, coming back from an injury and then spending a bit of time out.
"So it's as much game time. The way things have worked with the international break, even getting some reserve games. It's been awkward. So it's game time as much as anything.
"But he's certainly in the thinking."
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