Goodison News View: BBC report is breath of fresh air for Everton fans
If there’s been one player who Everton have missed in recent months, despite their success, it was midfielder Andre Gomes.
The Portugal international is a classy operator who has the ability to dictate the tempo of games from the middle of the park in a way no other Toffees midfielder can.
However, he has been sidelined since early November, after suffering a horrific injury courtesy of a horror challenge from Son Heung-min.
Recently, though, the noises surrounding the former Barcelona man have been very encouraging, and he is clearly ahead of schedule in his recovery.
Indeed, the BBC Sport website contained a report on Friday that said that the 26-year-old will make his comeback from injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Sunday.
That is news that will warm the cockles of Everton fans all over the globe. This is a guy who looked like his career was in jeopardy – or his season, at the very least. He will have written off representing his country at Euro 2020 as a pipe dream.
Somehow, though, in mid February, he is seemingly set to make his return to playing organised football.
It’s no first team comeback, of course, but it’s a vital step towards that. We need to see how his body responds to playing a reasonably-competitive match; that will be key.
It’s thought that if Gomes comes through the friendly unscathed that he will be under consideration to face Arsenal on February 23.
That’s quite astonishing stuff. The Portuguese suffered a fractured dislocation of his ankle against Spurs in November, yet he could be back playing for Everton by late February.
That’s credit to his incredible mental and physical strength, as well as a testament to the work of the medical staff at Finch Farm.
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that the Toffees’ star midfielder comes through Sunday with flying colours.
In other Everton news, Blues goalkeeping legend Neville Southall has been speaking about Jordan Pickford.