Nathan Patterson was handed yet another considerable Everton blow after David Moyes delivered a fitness update on Jake O’Brien.
As expected, O’Brien was handed the spot in the starting XI to face Burnley on Tuesday evening.
Moyes has stuck with the Ireland international when possible for Everton despite having a natural option in Patterson.
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Having admitted Everton have eyed a new right-back for the last 12 months, Moyes put yet another nail in Patterson’s coffin on Merseyside on Tuesday evening.
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David Moyes shares Jake O’Brien fitness update at Everton
It must be remembered that Everton rejected interest in Patterson during the winter window, with the player in need of minutes ahead of the World Cup.
Despite keeping him on Merseyside, Moyes admitted he selected O’Brien to play Burnley despite the Irishman suffering from an illness.
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A comparison of Jake O'Brien and Nathan Patterson's goal contributions for Everton.
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“Jimmy Garner and Jake O’Brien both had illness, and it sounds like there is a wee bit going around at Newcastle, where we’ve just come away from,” Moyes told TNT Sports.
“They’ve done great to play the game.”
This comes after Moyes started James Garner at right-back in the defeat to Manchester United just the other week.
By our counting, that would make Patterson the third choice right-back at the club on the basis of Seamus Coleman being unavailable through injury.
It is a damning indication of how the Scot is rated at Finch Farm, with two players who aren’t even right-backs being preferred over him.
Nathan Patterson could offer Everton more than Jake O’Brien
On the back of Moyes’ comments, it is understandable why, but O’Brien did not play very well against Burnley.
The Ireland international did not attempt a single dribble and offered less than 20m of progressive ball carries.
Having won for the first time at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in three months, there is not a lot to complain about, but the game only highlighted O’Brien’s limitations.
Defensively, O’Brien was sound, but the 24-year-old also failed to provide an accurate cross during the game.
Everton had a lot of interest arrive for Patterson over the winter and the defender now looks set to see out the season struggling to get a single minute of action.
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