Everton defender Nathan Patterson is likely to be ruled out of the Premier League game against Bournemouth on Sunday, according to reports.
What's the latest injury news on Nathan Patterson?
The Toffees netted a stoppage-time winner to rescue a late draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, so heading into the final fixture of the season in three days' time, Sean Dyche and his side find themselves in 17th place just two points above the relegation zone, meaning that if they secure a victory, they will successfully avoid the drop.
The Goodison Park outfit, however, have some big injury concerns coming into that game, including 21-year-old Patterson, who pulled up with a hamstring problem during their previous outing and had to be replaced by Michael Keane after just 29 minutes – and unfortunately for the boss, it sounds like he won’t have the right-back at his disposal for the decider on Sunday.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Patterson is "expected to miss out" the visit of Bournemouth this weekend, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin also a "growing" concern after being forced off the pitch with a hamstring injury of his own against Wolves. The Rangers academy graduate is "set to be absent" for potentially the most important showdown of the campaign after undergoing a further assessment to discover the true extent of his issue.
Will Patterson's absence be a blow for Everton?
Everton will know that Patterson isn’t the strongest of players in an attacking sense having recorded zero goals or assists this season, but the “solid” defender's absence will definitely be a blow for Dyche.
The Scotland international, who pockets £28k per week, ranks highly amongst his positional peers over the past year, placing in the 98th percentile for tackles, the 95th percentile for blocks and in the 94th percentile for clearances, as per FBref.
The Glasgow native also provides the boss with some versatility having operated slightly higher up on the right side of the midfield as well as in his usual role at the back since the start of the term, but that is yet another attribute that will be missing this coming weekend.
Whatever happens to Everton on Sunday, Patterson will understandably be gutted not to have been able to play any part in helping his side secure their fate, so all he can focus on now is his recovery and preparation in a bid to return to action for the start of pre-season.