Former Premier League manager and Sky Sports pundit Alex McLeish has been left bemoaning some Everton injury news on Nathan Patterson.

The Lowdown: Up to five weeks out

As revealed by the Goodison Park outfit, Patterson is expected to be ruled out for around four to five weeks, after sustaining an ankle injury while on international duty with Scotland in the UEFA Nations League.

Frank Lampard has later confirmed the news to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match away at Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, calling it a 'blow' for him and his team.

The Latest: McLeish reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish was left to bemoan the news on Patterson, claiming that it is a 'huge blow' for the Merseyside club to lose him, adding that it must be 'frustrating' for the right-back after picking up the same injury last season:

“Frank has put that trust in him after he was stuck behind Seamus Coleman for a while.

“We have seen what he can do, the urgency, the athleticism of the kid. That is a huge blow to lose him just when he is in tip-top form.

“Listen, he’s young and this is what happens when you play the professional game. You get injuries and sometimes the five-week ones are worse than being out for six months.

“When you are out for a long, long time, you know you aren’t coming back, and you know you are doing everything proper and correct.

“These niggly ones are so frustrating. You are out for five weeks, and you come back then you get another knock.

“Let’s just hope that, after the five weeks, he comes back really strong and back to the sensational form he was in."

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The Verdict: Cruel blow

It is a cruel blow for both the Toffees and Patterson himself for him to sustain the ankle injury that kept him out in the last campaign.

Indeed, the 20-year-old had been a revelation this term up until that point, being the Blues' fourth-best performer in the top flight so far, while averaging more tackles per game than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, he had been keeping club captain Seamus Coleman out of the side, and will no doubt be frustrated by this latest setback.