Everton injury concern as Vitaliy Mykolenko ruled out of Ukraine clash

Everton have been handed a potential injury concern after Vitaliy Mykolenko was ruled out of Ukraine’s Nations League match against Northern Ireland.

The left-back is dealing with a leg problem and Ukraine have decided not to risk him, despite reports that he had recently returned to full team training.

There is currently no confirmed diagnosis or indication of how long Mykolenko could be unavailable.

Ukraine head coach Andrea Maldera confirmed the Everton defender will not feature against Northern Ireland.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to count on Mykolenko for the match against Northern Ireland,” Maldera told Sport.ua.

“He isn’t feeling good; we respect his situation and didn’t want to risk him suffering a more serious injury.”

The wording is important. Maldera did not say Mykolenko has suffered a new or more serious injury. Instead, Ukraine are leaving him out because they do not want his existing problem to become worse.

Mykolenko played 94 minutes against Hungary before missing the subsequent match against Georgia with what was described as a leg issue.

Reports that he had returned to team training had suggested he was progressing, but he has now been ruled out again.

At this stage, the severity remains unclear.

There is no confirmed muscle injury, ligament problem or other specific diagnosis in the reports. There is also no recovery timetable.

Therefore, suggestions that the injury is definitely “worse than first feared” would be premature. The confirmed information is simply that Mykolenko still does not feel sufficiently fit to play and Ukraine do not want to take a risk.

That will nevertheless be closely monitored by Everton.

Mykolenko is the club’s only recognised senior left-back after Adam Aznou departed on loan, meaning an extended absence would leave manager David Moyes short of natural options in the position.

Mykolenko is expected to remain under assessment, with Everton likely to want clarity on his condition before their next Premier League fixture.

The key development will be whether he can return to full training without discomfort. Until further medical information emerges, there is no firm evidence that he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.