Mason Holgate has described how Andre Gomes’ horror injury stunned Everton’s players.
Gomes suffered a dislocation to his right ankle following a challenge by Son Heung-min in the latter stages of the Blues’ 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Sunday.
Several of the Portuguese midfielder’s teammates appeared visibly distraught as he was treated on the pitch before being taken by ambulance to hospital.
And Holgate has revealed the dark mood which engulfed the home dressing room at Goodison Park in the wake of Gomes’ season-ending ordeal.
He said: “Obviously we are all gutted with what has happened to Andre.
“We are all thinking about him and wish him the best. It is hard when something like that happens to get going again but we showed fight and went again.
“It was really flat [after the game]. It was like we had been beaten. He is all our friend and our team-mate so we are all gutted and wishing him the best.”
This was the second time Holgate has witnessed an Everton player suffer a devastating injury following James McCarthy’s double leg break in January 2018.
“It’s hard to cope with. I have been on the pitch for two,” admitted the defender.
“I saw James McCarthy’s as well, and both were the same in that everything goes flat.
“You just have to get together and make a stand as a team but the game goes flat and you can feel the whole mood changes.”
Despite the setback with Gomes, Marco Silva’s side still managed to take a point against Spurs courtesy of a stoppage-time header from substitute Cenk Tosun.
They have also put together an unbeaten home run of three games in all competitions while booking their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
Holgate believes the fighting spirit shown by Everton in the final stages against Tottenham is a genuine sign of optimism following a dismal start to the season.
He said: “I think we all rallied together in the last bit of the game.
“After a slow start we warmed into it, had a few chances, and were coming into the game more and more and I think that showed.
“Obviously they nicked one but in other times this season, once that has happened, we have struggled to break down teams.
“But we stayed strong, stayed together, and we looked dangerous and nicked a goal.”