Leandro Trossard looks set to make his return from injury when Brighton and Hove Albion entertain Everton on Saturday. Brighton boss Graham Potter says Trossard, who has been absent from first-team action since the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City at the end of August because of a groin injury, has trained with the first team for the past week.
The Seagulls head coach admits that he would have been tempted to introduce the Belgian playmaker off the bench at Aston Villa last week if the circumstances had been different. “When it went to down to ten men (v Villa) it become a bit of a transition game, we didn’t want to expose him to that in his first game back,” said Potter. “Come Saturday he’ll have had two weeks, so again we’ll assess, see how he is. He’s an option.”
Longer term injury absentees Bernardo and Jose Izquierdo are still out for the time being although Potter says the rest of his squad are in good shape for the visit of the Toffees.
Everton’s main injury concern for the trip to the Amex Stadium is Yerry Mina. The Colombian central defender is set to undergo further assessment on his knee injury on Friday morning as Marco Silva refuses to rule him out of the game.
Mina, who has not been fit enough to take a full part in training this week, spent Thursday in the treatment room as Everton try to get him ready to travel with them to the south coast.
⭐️ | Another excellent performance… Yerry Mina is your Man of the Match! 💙
Presented by @eToro. #EVEWHU pic.twitter.com/1eBy068fd3
— Everton (@Everton) October 19, 2019
The 25-year-old has started every Premier League game so far this season and Silva does not want to disrupt his back four again after the welcome clean sheet they protected in last week’s crucial 2-0 home win over West Ham – where Mina took the man-of-the-match award.
Versatile defender Mason Holgate stands by to deputise, with Silva projecting confidence in the homegrown talent if he is handed his first Premier League start in over a year. “He’s prepared, he’s ready,” said the Portuguese coach, who also confirmed that Fabian Delph and Morgan Schneiderlin are ready to play. “He’s working hard to get his chance, he already did in two Carabao Cup matches. I’m 100% sure if he has the chance he will be ready to perform in his level.”
COMMENTS