- Everton defender Vitalii Mykolenko picked up abductor injury.
- Expected to return to England in ‘normal conditions’.
- Ukrainian key player this season under David Moyes.
Everton have faced a series of injury issues in recent weeks, and their problems have worsened as Vitalii Mykolenko suffered an abductor injury while away with Ukraine.
The 26-year-old has been a regular for Ukraine since 2018 and was expected to face Albania on Tuesday evening, until the injury concern arose.
Ukrainian news outlet Champion reported on the national team head coach, Bohdan Mykhailichenko’s comments on the fullback’s injury, as he believes he could be fine to return to the Toffees.
He said, “Unfortunately, he felt (something). He says that yesterday he went to the doctors, but I didn’t know anything about it.”
He continued.
“He says that it’s not that serious, and he has five days off now. I’m sure that he will return to Everton in normal conditions.”
Everton’s reliable option
Since moving to Merseyside in January 2022 from Dynamo Kyiv, the left back has been a regular under every manager who has taken to the Blues dugout.
This season under Moyes, he has made 26 Premier League appearances, with 136 league games under his belt already.
His form has been up and down during his time at the club, though he often performs at his best when the team is playing well collectively, like they have this season.
Their recent game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Chelsea was confirmation of this, as he put in a solid defensive display as the Toffees came away with a 3-0 win.
| Vitalii Mykolenko VS Chelsea 21.3.26 | Stats |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Tackle success rate | 100% |
| Defensive contributions | 8 |
| Duel success rate | 37.5% |
| Recoveries | 4 |
| Accurate crosses rate | 60% |
| Key passes | 3 |
| Accurate passes | 74% |
Under the Scottish manager, Everton find themselves in 8th, the first season in a while they haven’t looked like flirting with the relegation zone.
European football is on the cards this year for the Blues, and the Ukrainian has been a vital component of the squad, so the supporters will be hoping for a quick recovery as they get ready to take on Brentford next Saturday.
Mykolenko part of the rebuild?
The Toffees are going through an exciting transition at the moment. Once a side regularly battling relegation, the Toffees are now competing for European spots.
Moyes’ side have a lot of talented players such as Ndiaye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish, albeit he’s on loan.
However, does Mykolenko make the cut as the Blues look to build on this incredible campaign?
Last summer, they signed Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich in what was assumed to bring competition to the left back area.
This has been far from reality, with the 19-year-old still waiting to make his Premier League debut.
Decisions may be made to bring in a more competitive player who can push the Ukrainian, and there is also his contract situation.
As of the summer, he has one year left on his deal at Hill Dickinson, with fellow Friedkin Group side AS Roma showing interest. However, some reports are suggesting he could sign a new deal on Merseyside.
The 26-year-old has been a fantastic servant to Everton, but could a different direction for both the club and the player be in store?
