Nathan Patterson’s difficult season took another setback after he was sent off while playing for Everton’s under-21s in the Premier League Cup.
The 23-year-old right-back has endured a challenging year, having spent almost six months sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in a 6-0 loss to Chelsea last April. The injury required surgery, and Everton took a careful approach to his recovery. After playing a few matches for the under-21s, Patterson has yet to feature for the senior squad and has been left out of Sean Dyche’s matchday plans as an unused substitute for five consecutive games.
In a bid to regain full match fitness, Patterson featured in the under-21s’ 1-0 defeat to Watford on Thursday evening. It was a frustrating outing for Patterson, who was shown a red card for two yellow card offenses, the second for kicking the ball away after a corner. Despite the dismissal, Patterson’s suspension will only apply to under-21s competitions, meaning he will still be available for Everton’s Premier League match against Manchester United this Sunday. He will, however, miss the next under-21s fixture against Ipswich on December 6.
The match also marked a return for Armando Broja, who made his first appearance since recovering from an Achilles injury, playing the first half. Meanwhile, Jake O’Brien, who also joined Everton in the summer, played the entire match as he continues to adjust to life at the club.
Last season, a similar red card for Youssef Chermiti in the Premier League International Cup didn’t prevent him from being available for Everton’s senior Premier League fixture.
