Everton were dealt a big injury blow during the recent international break as Nathan Patterson picked up an injury that forced him off the pitch during Scotland’s 3-0 win over Ukraine over a week ago.
Despite this setback, journalist, Simon Phillips, has dropped a behind-the-scenes claim regarding the situation surrounding Patterson and his return to action at Finch Farm that should delight a lot of Everton supporters.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips had this to say on the matter: “I did speak to my source on his injury, and there’s some positivity that he might be back sooner than six weeks, more sort of four to five weeks.
“So, we’ll have to see the full impact of that one and how quickly he recovers, but it’s not all doom and gloom, there’s a bit more positivity that he might come back sooner than first expected.”
Last week, the official Everton Twitter account also revealed that the right-back is set to be out of action for “around four to five weeks” due to the ankle issue he picked up on duty for Scotland.
Bearing in mind how the Scotsman had played every minute of league action for the Toffees prior to the international break, this highlights how important he is for Frank Lampard and why his injury will have been such a disappointment for him and everyone else at the club.
His overall performances have earned the Scottish international a season rating of 6.92/10 from WhoScored, making him the second-highest rated outfield player at the club to have started more than two league games.
Even though he missed Everton’s recent 2-1 win over Southampton, Patterson still has the highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (38) at the Merseyside club, showcasing his defensive talent.
Now that Phillips has reinforced the feeling that the 20-year-old’s injury is not as serious as first feared and should be back sooner rather than later, this will surely be a big positive for the club and the fans to take.
