Forget Godfrey: Lampard must unleash £120k-p/w Everton "monster", he can keep them up - opinion

Frank Lampard got off to the perfect start as Everton boss, overseeing his side beat Premier League rivals Brentford 4-1 at Goodison Park in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

However, the win came at a slight cost as defender Ben Godfrey was forced off injured after just 14 minutes, with the 24-year-old’s manager stating: “It’s a hamstring injury which is to be assessed.

“We’ll have to let it settle for two days and then scan it, not good. He’ll be missing for a period of time depending on the severity of the injury, but it’s a hamstring.”

Monstrous centre-back Yerry Mina replaced Godfrey and just under 20 minutes later scored the Toffees’ first goal of the match and went on to impress at the back.

Now, with Godfrey set to miss weeks of action, Lampard has to entrust Mina and give him the opportunity to perform for the Merseyside outfit.

Labelled as a “monster” by Liverpool Echo columnist Michael Ball, the Columbian has only made nine Premier League appearances so far this campaign, starting seven having had a thigh problem from late October to early December.

It didn’t seem as though he was high up the pecking order under former manager Rafa Benitez but could now be set for a run in the side under Lampard.

The 43-year-old manager deployed a 3-4-3 formation on Saturday, suggesting that this will be his go-to setup with Everton. If so, Mina should be delighted.

With three centre-backs needed, the 27-year-old’s chance of game-time is significantly increased as is that of his fellow defenders. As well as that, Godfrey’s injury means that the Columbian seems dead-on to start the next handful of games.

It’s vital for his Everton tenure that Mina takes this opportunity; it’s a platform to build upon for sure. The