Fabian Delph set to spend four to six weeks recovering from shoulder injury
Rafa Benitez has confirmed that Everton midfielder Fabian Delph is set to spend four to six weeks recovering from a shoulder injury.
The 31-year-old dislocated his shoulder at Finch Farm in training ahead of the Toffees League Cup clash with Huddersfield Town last month.
Delph has been unavailable for selection for Everton’s last two games as a result and is now set to spend at least one month on the injury sidelines.
Benitez told Liverpool Echo concerning the English midfielder: “I expect he will be out for some weeks. I don’t want to say exactly how long but between four to six weeks. That is what they told me.
“He was unlucky. I know people talk about him not doing well or having injuries, and I had the impression when I came he was not a player who did not play much because of injuries.
“But I have no doubt about his quality and I will say his commitment in every training session from day one was really good.”
Unlucky
The versatile Delph has only played seven minutes of football this term, coming off the bench in the 2-2 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road last month.
Injuries limited the veteran to just eight Premier League appearances last term, and his final 12 months at Goodison Park are not going as planned.
Clearly, he has impressed Benitez in training and the Spaniard would love to count on him, but that is impossible at the moment.
While he plays predominantly as a central midfielder, Delph can also feature at left-back and could serve as an emergency cover for Lucas Digne with Niels Nkounkou on loan at Standard Liege for the rest of the season.
The former Manchester City star featured in 16 top-flight games in his first season at Everton, but his fitness woes have been frequent, and it is safe to say he has not enjoyed his time on Merseyside since arriving.
Delph will be keen to return to action sooner rather than later, and the Toffees manager will be hoping he can call on his expertise going forward this term.
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