Conor Coady offers Everton something Yery Mina cannot as Frank Lampard faces tough decision

Frank Lampard made his intentions of what he wanted from Everton clear after Premier League survival was confirmed.

Once the Toffees boss has savoured the mass pitch invasion at Goodison Park and danced in front of the directors' boss, his attention swiftly turned to the future.

Recruitment, of course, was always going to be at the forefront of his plans.

‘We have to be strong and robust’

But after the final-day loss to Arsenal in May, he made other intentions transparent when asked about his aims for 2022-23.

"To get the players fit and robust,” said Lampard.

“Our injury record when I came in and what we've had is one that affects you. Two big centre-halves out for a big period of time, Dominic [Calvert-Lewin]. Each individual case when you look at it is not easy to analyse.

"We have to be strong and robust. It's Everton, we're not a tika-taka team, we have to be strong."

Injuries, indeed, were a fundamental reason why the Toffees finished only four points above the drop zone.

There were other facets, let's not make excuses, but having key players sidelined played its part.

Yet against the backdrop of Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering a freak knee issue in training days before Everton’s opening game of the new campaign, Lampard could be forgiven for chuntering under his breath when he witnessed two players limp off in the defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

Ben Godfrey's fractured leg was an innocuous one, not helped by the match officials who hadn't spotted the ball had gone out of play.

Granted, Godfrey's wayward backpass to Jordan Pickford initially caused the scenario but his strong challenge of Kai Havetz and being ruled out of action for three months.

Given the time he received medical attention for and being stretchered off, plenty in the stands sympathised.

More Mina woes

When Yerry Mina went down injured in the second half with ankle ligament damage, however, there was scarcely a shocked face pulled.

Unfortunately, the sight of Mina going down with a complaint has become all too frequent. The number of injuries the centre-back has suffered during his four years at Goodison Park have been surfeit.

Last season, he managed just 13 Premier League appearances.

And since Frank Lampard took the reins on 30 January, Mina has been withdrawn from games on three separate occasions.

Having gone off last term against Newcastle United and Leicester City - along with a 2-1 win over Arsenal while Rafa Benitez was in charge - Chelsea has now been added to the unwanted list.

His injury record is why large sections of supporters would have been happy for Everton to cash in on Mina, who is into the final year of his contract, during the off-season.

When available, it cannot be gainsaid that the Colombia international is an asset. At his apogee, he's arguably among the best centre-halves the Premier League has to offer - certainly outside the top six.

And as the summer wore on and Mina continued to be unscathed, getting through games against Arsenal, Minnesota United and Blackpool, it's understandable why Lampard kept him in Everton's plans.

At the heart of a three-man rearguard, the 27-year-old is as steely as they come. His leadership and dark arts don't go unnoticed, either. When fit, he’s played.

But, in truth, Lampard may now be weighing up whether to efface Mina from his main plans.

A stable, consistent defence is required. Rapports need to be built.

And that means relying on the players who can guarantee they'll persistently be available.

Durable duo

James Tarkowski certainly offers that. In the previous four seasons at Burnley, he missed just eight of their 152 Premier League games.

Tarkowski's already made a profound impact since signing on a free transfer.

Coady's record is even more impressive. In the same period for Wolves, he was unavailable for just one match.

That was in November 2020 when he'd come in close contact with someone who'd tested positive for Covid-19 and had to self-isolate.

It was probably a reason why Lampard wanted to sign the England international on a season-long loan.

Mina, in contrast, averaged only 20 league appearances per season since joining from Barcelona in 2018.

Coady operated in the nucleus of a back three for Wolves. Bruno Lage's decision to switch to a conventional back four this term is why the England international was granted an exit.

With a week to train with his new team-mates at Finch Farm, Coady will likely start Saturday's trip to Aston Villa.

As for Mina, the full extent of his ankle issue has still to be disclosed. But we can almost guarantee that he won't be available for the clash against Steven Gerrard's side.

And when he does regain full fitness, Lampard may opt to omit Mina from his starting XI.

Although Godfrey is sidelined until November, Everton still have Mason Holgate and Michael Keane as options, while Seamus Coleman is getting closer to full fitness and can feature on the right of a back three.

Perhaps Lampard might now even be considering whether to offload Mina before the transfer window is shut.

With less than a year on his deal and believed to be one of the club’s higher earners, Everton could free up some funds.