In a recent interview (via Liverpool Echo), Rafael Benitez revealed that injured Everton centre-back Yerry Mina could return after the international break. Benitez offered an update on the Colombia international’s injury and said,
“Yerry is close but we didn’t have time for this game.
“But he is very close.
“In a few days, hopefully he can join the team and start training and then we will see how he is progressing.
“But I am optimistic about Yerry and we will see if he’s fine.”
Mina’s Up And Down Season At Goodison Park So Far
Mina has made a strong start to this campaign but has a lot of key games for Benitez‘s team because of a thigh injury. The 27-year-old has appeared in six matches for the Merseyside outfit this season, receiving a total of 457 minutes of game time in Premier League football.
The Colombian sensation has given a good account of himself on the defensive end of the field as he is averaging 1.0 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 4.0 clearances per game in the English first division. He has even been distributed the ball well from the back after completing 76.4% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
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Mina Set To Return From Injury After The International Break: Massive Boost For Everton?
Mina can use his robust 1.95m frame to dominate the aerial battle with the opposition inside his half and can be a potent threat at the other end from indirect set-pieces. He loves to make a strong tackle and has got the defensive awareness to pull off a few crucial interceptions at the back.
The 38-time Colombia international can position himself ideally to make some important clearances on the defensive third of the pitch. He can even put his body on the line to block a few shots from the opposition and is usually a tidy passer of the ball.
At the moment, Everton are missing the services of Mina who has been a rock at the back for them in the early stages of this campaign. Hence, having him back from injury after the upcoming international break will be a big boost for the Toffees as he could help turn their fortunes around for the better in the Premier League.
