Everton dealt defensive injury blow ahead of Burnley clash

The Toffees travel to Turf Moor outside of the relegation zone, despite receiving a 10-point deduction by the Premier League last month.

Three straight wins for Sean Dyche's men has moved them from joint-bottom to 17th in the space of a week, and they go into Saturday's clash five points clear of Burnley.

Had Everton not suffered their points penalty, they would be in the top half, just three points shy of the European places, after a run of nine wins in 13 games.

However, ahead of their battle at the bottom, Dyche has revealed that he will be without a number of first-team defenders for the encounter on Saturday evening.

Seamus Coleman remains out after picking up a slight knock on his return to the side following six months out, and that has been compiled by the news that Ashley Young will also be absent as he had to be withdrawn in the first half against Chelsea last weekend.

That means that Nathan Patterson is set to start at right-back, being Everton's only other senior option in that position, giving him the opportunity to start for the first time since late October when Young was suspended.

Everton's big crisis comes at centre-back though, with Jarrad Branthwaite out suspended, news broke earlier this week that Michael Keane is doubtful for the clash with a knock.

While Keane is back in training ahead of the clash, it is still touch and go about whether he will be fit enough to start at the weekend.

Keane himself has not featured from the start in the league since a 4-0 loss at Aston Villa in August, which resulted in him losing his spot in the side to Branthwaite.

After being an unused substitute for the past