Everton have been handed a potential injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash against Southampton.
According to a recent report from the Scottish Daily Express, the injury picked up by Toffees full-back, Nathan Patterson, while on international duty, has not been considered to be a serious one and is not likely to keep him out of action for a significant period of time.
The right-back was stretchered off the pitch just 20 minutes into Scotland’s 3-0 win over Ukraine on Wednesday, creating some concern over his situation.
This will be a massive relief for Everton manager Frank Lampard given how important and prominent the defender has been for his side so far this season.
As one of the three figures in Lampard’s squad to have played every minute of Premier League action for the Toffees, this highlights how significant he is for the side.
In his seven appearances, the Scotsman has won more tackles in the defensive (14), midfield (8) and attacking third (2) of the pitch than any other Everton player.
His overall performances have earned the 20-year-old a solid early season rating of 6.92/10 from WhoScored, making him the second-highest rated outfield player at the club.
This shows just how important the full-back has been for his side this season, not just in terms of his defensive abilities but also as a reliable figure in general, even though he is still fairly young compared to the rest of his teammates at Goodison Park.
Now that it has been reported that his injury scare from last week is not as serious as first feared, this will surely be music to the ears of the Toffees boss and everyone else connected to the club.
Moving forward, if Patterson is fit enough to play against the Saints on Saturday, Lampard should have no doubts over putting him in the starting XI.
