Sky Sports pundit: Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs Everton games pre-World Cup, no start v Tottenham
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs to reach the World Cup break with “minutes in his legs” for Everton and no new injuries says Kevin Campbell.
The striker made his first appearance of the season on Sunday (9 October), coming on as a second half substitute against Manchester United, having picked up an injury in the preseason to add to a nightmare year fitness-wise, and could feature at Tottenham on Saturday (15 October).
While the Toffees could certainly use his presence in attack, Sky Sports pundit Campbell is wary of throwing him into the action from the start yet in case he suffers another set back, but is aware that he needs to have built up some match sharpness before another sizeable lay-off when the winter international tournament is on.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News he said: “He’s come on, but to start I’m not sure.
“I think they’ve still got to go kid gloves with him, because it’s easy to just chuck him back in and then he breaks down.
“You can afford to take your time with him. Give him half and hour, 35 minutes next time, or give him a half, and then slowly build him up.
“Because if you think about it, once you get to World Cup time he’s going to have another rest. But you want him to have the rest with minutes in his legs, with games under his belt, and not having broken down.
“You don’t want to be rehabbing that lad, you want him to have all the minutes under his belt and then you can say, ‘Right, little mini preseason, keep yourself ticking over, then you’re ready to go in the second half [of the season]’.”
A fully fit Calvert-Lewin makes Everton a completely different proposition, and him leading the line would be of benefit to the likes of Dwight McNeil and Demarai Gray out wide.
But it has been so long since the club saw him fully fit that Frank Lampard knows he can’t rush things with his number nine.
It may not be until after the Premier League season resumes after the World Cup that he is in any position to start regularly, but if he can get a decent number of substitute appearances before then, and rest up through December, he should be better prepared for the second half of the campaign.