Everton face attacking dilemma with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still out injured
Everton manager Rafa Benitez faces a dilemma in the final third with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin still sidelined through injury.
The Spaniard revealed via the club’s official YouTube channel that the England international is set to be out for another “three weeks”.
This means that Calvert-Lewin will miss a tough run of games for the Toffees, starting with Manchester City on Sunday.
Everton then face Brentford, Liverpool and Arsenal before the striker is expected to return.
He has been sidelined since sustaining a toe injury against Brighton and Hove Albion at the end of August and since then, Benitez has deployed both Richarlison and Salomon Rondon as a central striker in matches.
Those two appear the most likely to continue filling the void, but neither give Everton the same threat that Calvert-Lewin does.
Richarlison told the club’s official website that he enjoys playing “a more central position” because “I like the responsibility of scoring and creating goals”.
However, the Brazilian has netted just twice in seven appearances this season. Still, that is better than Rondon, who has failed to score in seven games since his summer move from Chinese outfit Dalian Professional.
In terms of other options, Cenk Tosun has been named on the bench in the last two Premier League appearances after recovering from a knee injury so could feature, but he does not have a long-term future at the club.
Then there are the options from the academy, such as 20-year-old Ellis Simms who signed a new contract this week and has been on the bench twice this season.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Lewis Dobbin is extremely highly rated and has made two cameo appearances in the Premier League but is probably more suited to a wide role.
There is also the possibility that Benitez plays a system with two strikers, as he did with Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison earlier in the season, but that is likely to leave Everton too open against opponents such as Manchester City and Liverpool.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are demanding at least £30m for one of their star players.
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