- Vitaliy Mykolenko suffered an ankle injury during Everton’s victory over Liverpool
- The 24-year-old is now unlikely to feature again for the Toffees this season
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Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko’s hopes of playing in this summer’s European Championship are at stake after the Ukrainian suffered a nasty ankle injury during last week’s Merseyside Derby.
The 24-year-old, who was one of the most improved players under Sean Dyche and played a crucial role in the Toffees’ survival bid, went off at half-time in the 2-0 win over Liverpool after initially being called on following a awkward fall.
He missed Saturday’s win against Brentford, which confirmed his survival and is unlikely to feature for the club again this season. “They’re not great early signs,” Dyche said after the Liverpool game.
And he now faces a race against time to be fit for Ukraine’s participation in Euro 2024.
Mail Sport understands Mykolenko will travel to a specialist consultant on Tuesday to decide whether he needs surgery on the injury.
Everton’s Vitaly Mykolenko will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury
The left back suffered the annoying injury against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby last week
Mykolenko’s hopes of representing Ukraine at the 2024 European Championship this summer are now in doubt
The consultant will decide together with Mykolenko and the club – and probably also his national team – whether he needs surgery for what appears to be damage to the ankle ligament. If he does require surgery, he will likely miss the European Championships and not return until next season.
Mykolenko has been one of Everton’s most consistent players this season with 28 league appearances and two goals. He was capped 39 times by Ukraine and would be a big miss for the country.