Several Everton players have been in action over the recent set of international friendlies
Oskar Wojcik and Vitalii Mykolenko fight for position before a corner kick during the international friendly match between Poland and Ukraine. Photo by Lukasz Germaniuk/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Oskar Wojcik and Vitalii Mykolenko fight for position before a corner kick during the international friendly match between Poland and Ukraine. Photo by Lukasz Germaniuk/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
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Vitalii Mykolenko played at centre back in a back four as Ukraine kept a clean sheet in their friendly victory over Poland.
Goals from Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko sealed the win for Ukraine in Wroclaw as Mykolenko started in a slightly unfamiliar position - he has played as the left-sided centre back for his national side before but typically within a back three.
Mykolenko’s current contract is due to expire this summer though David Moyes indicated an agreement that would keep him on Merseyside was close as the season came to an end.
The Everton full-back was one of a few Blues in international action over the weekend, with Iliman Ndiaye playing for 70 minutes as Senegal lost 3-2 to USA on Sunday night. Idrissa Gueye, who missed the final games of the Premier League season through injury, was not involved though he is part of the Senegal squad named for the World Cup.
Like Mykolenko, his Blues contract is set to end this summer, though Everton do have an option to extend it should they wish to do so and talks were ongoing when the campaign ended.
Another player who is now in the US for the tournament is Nathan Patterson, who played the second half in Scotland’s 4-1 win over Curacao on Saturday before the squad flew out to their Florida training base.
Patterson’s future is up in the air given he has not started under Moyes since Everton’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa in January despite being fit through that time. Moyes has made clear Everton will continue their hunt for a right back this summer.
Academy defender Odin Samuels-Smith, meanwhile, was an unused substitute for Jamaica as they lost 3-0 to Nigeria on Saturday. The teenager, who impressed on loan at Marine earlier this year, made his international debut in a 2-0 win over India last week.