Everton's Ben Godfrey may not play again this season due to injury
Frank Lampard confirms Ben Godfrey has been ruled out for ‘a few weeks’ with a thigh injury, and faces a battle to play again this season… as Everton are dealt a major setback in their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League
- Ben Godfrey picked up an injury in the warm-up ahead of the Merseyside derby
- The Everton defender has now been ruled for ‘a few weeks’ with the issue
- Frank Lampard has admitted he may not play again this season for the Toffees
- Godfrey’s absence is a major blow for Everton as they bid to avoid relegation
Everton could be without defender Ben Godfrey for the remainder of their battle against relegation.
The defender injured a thigh muscle in the warm-up ahead of last weekend’s Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield and manager Frank Lampard admits it will be a race against time to get him fit before the end of the season.
With fellow centre-back Yerry Mina having only just returned from more than two months out with injury, Godfrey’s absence is a significant blow.
Everton defender Ben Godfrey may not play again this season after picking up a thigh injury
‘Ben’s out and will be a few weeks out,’ said Lampard, ahead of their final six matches which start with the visit of his former club Chelsea on Sunday.
‘We would love to get him back before the end of the season but it will be a close call.’
Godfrey’s absence makes Everton’s task of staying in the Premier League that little bit harder, with the club facing the prospect of being relegated for the first time in 71 years.
The Toffees could find themselves five points adrift of safety, albeit with two matches in hand – by the time they kick-off against Thomas Tuchel’s team at Goodison Park.
Frank Lampard’s side are in serious danger of being relegated from the Premier League
Everton have managed just three Premier League wins since the former England midfielder replaced Rafael Benitez at the end of January and a drop into the Sky Bet Championship is now a worrying reality.
Asked whether he would continue as manager if the team were relegated Lampard said: ‘I don’t want to get drawn on that question but what I will say is I’ve loved every minute at this club.
‘I’ve been welcomed incredibly well by fans. I’ll give it everything for as long as Everton want me here.’
Lampard is also missing midfielders Donny Van De Beek (groin) and Andre Gomes but will be able to call on striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose injury-plagued season continued as he sat out the last two matches.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be back in the squad on Sunday after missing the last two matches
Following the defeat to Liverpool the club wrote to Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to register a complaint about the way a penalty appeal against Anthony Gordon was handled.
It was the second time they had cause to take such action, having received an apology from PGMOL boss Mike Riley last month after the failure to award a potential penalty equaliser against Manchester City for a handball against Rodri.
But there has been no such response this time around.
Lampard said: ‘I didn’t expect there to be another one, to have two apologies in critical games against the two strongest teams in the country. Against Manchester City that cost us a point on the day.
Everton were not happy after Anthony Gordon was not given a penalty against Liverpool
Lampard has revealed the club have not received an apology from PGMOL after the incident
‘Against Liverpool who knows what that cost us if we get a penalty and go 1-0 up, that’s hard to gauge.
‘But they are things which can clearly affect you in a relegation battle.’
The FA also wrote to Lampard this week asking him to explain his comments about the officiating in the derby.
‘They wrote to me, I wrote back to them. At that point, I haven’t heard anything further,’ he said.
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