Everton are back in Premier League action today, as they play host to a Fulham side seemingly still recovering from that frantic FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.
In a game where the travelling Cottagers had dominated, a moment of madness saw Willian, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Marco Silva all see red, spurring on the imminent collapse.
This saw them not only crash out the cup but throw their next three fixtures into doubt as they would be without a host of their most important characters. Whilst the Brazilian will be back and their manager will be in the dugout, poised for his return to Goodison Park, their Serbian marksman remains out after an unprecedented eight-game ban was upheld after his skirmish with the referee.
It offers a huge opportunity for the Toffees to grab three vital points as they enter an unfavourable run-in, and the absence of such an imperative figure for the West London outfit will only bolster their chances.
However, the Merseyside club are not without absentees of their own, as Sean Dyche detailed in his press conference. Responding to the media when asked about injuries, he noted on Seamus Coleman:
"He's got a niggly hamstring which will need a bit of time to settle down."
Although boasting form of playing the likes of Ben Godfrey out of position in a full-back role, it seems the return of Nathan Patterson from injury marks the perfect chance for the full-back to re-establish himself within the senior squad.
Will Nathan Patterson start vs Fulham?
Despite the impressive form of their 34-year-old captain, his physical deficiencies were there for all to see. Offensively the Irishman is lacking, and with his wilting dynamism, an injection of youth could be a boost at both ends of the pitch.
Their number 23 has only mustered a 6.73 average rating, upheld by his 0.1 key pass per game, via Sofascore.
When given a run in the side earlier on in the campaign under Frank Lampard, the young Scotsman had shown signs of the bright future he was once touted.
This culminated in his 2.8 tackles per game alongside a 47% dribble success rate – also per Sofascore – with his attacking statistics admittedly lacking.
However, it is less his technical assets and more his eagerness to impress that could make up for Coleman's absence, as Patterson has been noted as someone who both "bombs forward" and "sticks a foot in" by pundit Danny Murphy.
The £28k-per-week diamond showcased these attributes in their 0-0 draw in the first Merseyside derby of this season, where he made five tackles and won five of his eight ground duels.
Having not started a game since that fateful collapse against Brighton and Hove Albion at the start of January, perhaps the 21-year-old can exorcise those demons with a fine display today to help add a vital three points to their diminutive tally.