Jordan Pickford is set to miss England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers due to an injury, Everton have confirmed via their official website.
The goalkeeper was forced to come off in the first half of Everton’s defeat at home to Burnley, having sustained an injury to his oblique abdominal muscle.
He underwent a scan on the injury on Monday to determine its extent. It has now been confirmed that he will miss the rest of March’s fixtures, ruling him out of at least four games for club and country.
On Saturday, the Toffees face runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City in an FA Cup quarter-final tie. Portuguese goalkeeper Joao Virginia is expected to be the one to fill in for Pickford, having replaced the 27-year-old on Saturday.
However, this may depend on whether Roma loanee Robin Olsen has recovered from his knock, which has kept him out of action lately. The Swede has made nine appearances in all competitions this season, keeping three clean sheets.
Meanwhile, it is unclear who will step in for England’s World Cup qualifiers. Burnley’s Nick Pope and Manchester United’s Dean Henderson are the most likely choices for Gareth Southgate.
The Three Lions begin their campaign to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar during the upcoming international break.
England welcome San Marino to Wembley Stadium on March 25 for their first international game since November. They travel to Albania three days later, before completing the international break back at Wembley with a visit from Poland.
Read also: Carlo Ancelotti sheds light on Everton summer transfer plans.
