‘A big miss’: Everton’s Yerry Mina out for up to 10 weeks in blow to Lampard

Everton have suffered a significant setback in their fight to avoid relegation with Yerry Mina ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a quadriceps injury.

The Colombia international sustained his third thigh problem of an injury-plagued campaign during Tuesday’s defeat at Newcastle and is not expected to return until late April. Mina’s absence leaves Frank Lampard seriously stretched in central defence, with the manager having lost Ben Godfrey for at least a month with a hamstring injury in his first game in charge.

Lampard will be without seven first-team players for Leeds’s visit on Saturday, including Demarai Gray and Vitalii Mykolenko, the club’s only recognised left-back.

“Yerry Mina is an unfortunate injury which will be between eight to 10 weeks,” Lampard said. “It’s a strong injury around his quad and disappointing for us all. In the week I’ve been here I’ve realised he is a big leader in the group, a top player, and he’s a big miss.

“They are two big injuries for us at centre-back. We do have players there who have to step up and have been stepping up – Michael Keane, Mason Holgate, Jarrad Branthwaite – but the options are becoming tight. They are big misses for us, I can’t deny that, but I have confidence in the squad and we just have to dig in. Sometimes digging in is the only way, particularly in our league position, so I won’t complain too much.”