Key Everton man ruled out of Fulham clash – Who should replace him?

Everton full-back Seamus Coleman was ruled out of Saturday’s match versus Fulham. The long-time Blue has played in thirteen straight matches, starting in each of them. Manager Sean Dyche has a big decision to make as earning points is once again vital in this upcoming home game. Everton currently sits outside of the relegation zone because of goal differential. Who will he select to replace Coleman in the starting XI?

There are a few paths Dyche could go down. First off, Ben Godfrey has spent much of his minutes in an Everton shirt out on either side of the defence, most recently at left-back this past weekend. He could slide over to the right, and Vitaliy Mykolenko re-enters the starting lineup on the left.

A second option would be to keep Godfrey on the left and re-introduce Nathan Patterson to the starting XI. The young Scotsman just appeared for Everton for the first time since January when he left the match due to injury.

Who should replace Seamus Coleman in the Everton lineup

He made two short appearances for Scotland over this past international break. He offers more going forward, but there is much uncertainty about his fitness levels, and in general, his confidence and readiness to play. Everton needs all hands on deck, and throwing Nathan Patterson into the fire for potentially a full 90 minutes may be too high a risk for the manager.

At this point in time, however, I think the decision should be to start Nathan Patterson. Last weekend, Ben Godfrey turned in an awful performance, and Dyche may drop him for that and not consider putting him on the right side. He was subbed off at half for Myko, and Patterson subbed on for Seamus Coleman late in the match.

I still think Godfrey gets the start on the left because using one game to grade his performance is frivolous. Patterson was brought to Everton last January to eventually replace Seamus Coleman. Don’t forget, he was the starter to begin the 2022-23 campaign, where he showed good hustle, play on the ball, and energy.

His issue has been staying on the pitch, and his lack of experience has come to the surface in some of his games. However, the upside indeed exists to give Everton a boost. The Toffees will take any small gain possible as the pressure builds with the season’s end coming closer and closer.

Getting a result, preferably three points versus a Fulham side who are trending down significantly is of utmost importance. Everton is 3-1-1 in home matches since Sean Dyche’s hire, and they will look to continue their good form at Goodison Park.

Will Seamus Coleman return next weekend?