Vitalii Mykolenko suffers injury in the final pre-season game | OneFootball

With less than 10 days to go to the start of the Premier League 2025-26 season, Everton have picked up a major injury concern.

Left-back Vitalii Mykolenko suffered a knock after 10 minutes in the Blues’ final pre-season friendly at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Ukrainian left-back had to limp off the pitch and was replaced by new signing Adam Aznou.

Appearing to be suffering from a groin problem, Mykolenko is now doubtful for the league opener against Leeds United on 18 August. The club is awaiting a medical report on the extent of the injury.

“We’ll wait to see [on Mykolenko] what the report says, we’ve not had a chance yet,” said David Moyes after his side lost 1-0 to Roma in the curtain raiser at their new stadium.

Moyes also confirmed that Nathan Patterson and Harrison Armstrong are not fit at the moment.

“Patterson is getting checked for a hernia and Armstrong picked up a thigh strain in training,” he added.

Patterson was left out of the final Premier League Summer Series friendly against Manchester United.

However, the Toffees have been bolstered by the returns of James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Michael Keane from their respective injuries.

Branthwaite missed the tour of the United States after suffering a niggle against Blackburn Rovers but was fit to start this afternoon. Tarkowski, who led the Blues on to the pitch for the first time at Hill Dickinson Stadium, made his first start since April in the previous friendly against Manchester United.

Stephen Williams 2 Posted 09/08/2025 at 22:25:41

Couldn't have happened at a worse time.

Either as Mike says or I can see Moyes going with 3 centre-backs with Garner and McNeil as wingbacks stiffening up the midfield and hope for a draw.

Duncan McDine 4 Posted 10/08/2025 at 08:37:44

Aznou's defensive positioning was all over the place yesterday, which must be why Seamus was tried at left-back in the final portion of the match. Moyes (like me) will be very concerned about Mykolenko's availability.

Once again, the squad is ill-prepared for the new season.

Steve Brown 5 Posted 10/08/2025 at 08:55:18

The back 4 against Leeds will be:

O'Brien Tarkowski Keane Branthwaite.

Moyes needed a right-back and left-back who could come into the team and has neither.

Aznou has potential, but he has a lot to learn before he is ready for the Premier League. His defensive positional play reminded me of Nathan Patterson.

Sunderland just picked up Arthur Masuaku on a free. 2 year contract. He's 31. A left back who played for WHU, making 105 appearances for them. Played 45 games for Besiktas last season. Current DR Congo international. No idea if he's good, bad or indifferent but Sunderland see something in him. As an emergency cover for Myko he might have been useful, especially as money appears tight.

Alan McGuffog 7 Posted 10/08/2025 at 16:22:32

Uncanny isn't it? Was reading somewhere that Everton, for an accumulation of reasons, can claim to be the Premier League's most unlucky club.

So I'm led to believe that, over the last few months, Mykolenko has started to look the business. And then this.

Surely to God there can't be two Native American burial grounds in North Liverpool!

Ryan Holroyd 8 Posted 10/08/2025 at 16:27:48

Why would we spend wages on a left back who’s 31 as emergency cover when we have just bought a left back from Bayern Munich who’s cover for left back.

We don’t want three left backs

Sam Hoare 10 Posted 10/08/2025 at 16:42:13

The only way that we can catch up with the teams ahead of us is by developing young talents who go on to be top level players. And the only way that happens is by giving those young players time on the pitch and showing a little patience. That commodity seems to be in very short supply among some on here.

Danny O'Neill 11 Posted 10/08/2025 at 17:12:38

To Ryan's point, Jack @6,

We have just spent 9m Euros (I think) on left back cover. If Sunderland have been arranging that loan and it's happened, it would have all been in advanced stages for a couple of weeks and agreed. We only found out Mykolenko was injured yesterday.

It looks like left back will be a toss up between Aznou, maybe Seamus and as I've said elsewhere, I wouldn't be surprised see Michael Keane in there or we play with a back 3.

Sam @10, a debate we've all had for years and long before TW. All opinions, but it's always a balance and blend. As well as developing younger players, all clubs buy players approaching at their peak, or those with experience.

I like nothing more than to see young ex-academy players breaking through, but our academy has hardly been tearing up trees over the past decade. The only realistic one coming through now is Harrison Armstrong.

Arsene Wenger was good at it. But, wet finger in the air, I think a lot of those he brought into their youth set up came from other countries. He even had Harry Kane for a season, but mustn't have rated him as his released him. It just show's you that you can never tell, and it's down to opinion and judgement.

We've done okay with younger players the past couple of seasons. Not academy players, but we acquired the likes of O'Brien, Branthwaite and Alcaraz. We've done it this summer with Aznou, and Barry, again from other clubs.