Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin injury update shared by Sean Dyche
Everton could be without their talisman striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin for their next crucial Premier League game against Leeds United on Saturday (18 February).
After the 2-0 defeat against Liverpool, Sean Dyche has hinted that he may have to give Calvert-Lewin extra time to recover so that his body doesn’t break down again, and picking him for the next game is a “tough call”.
The striker was absent from the derby clash with a hamstring injury and it was a “blow” for the club. Calvert-Lewin impressed in the 1-0 win against Arsenal, but his recurrent injuries are becoming serious challenges for the manager.
“He is working diligently, I think he is having an up-and-down time,” said Dyche, as quoted by Liverpool World.
“The challenge we have got is not just to get the injury fit – it is to get him genuinely fit so his body doesn’t break down.
“I think I might have to give him extra time for that and actually slow that down to make sure because we don’t want a player for one game, we want a player for as many as possible.
“That is going to be the right challenge for me and my staff, to make sure we give him the chance to be really fit if you like – rather than sort of getting him back for the sake of one game. So it is a tough call that one. Hopefully, we will see how it is settling this week.”
Challenge
This is indeed a big headache how to solve Calvert-Lewin’s problems. He has managed just one goal in nine Premier League starts this season.
He is the club’s first-choice striker, and yet the manager can’t use him properly because of his injury problems. He has suffered a lot of injuries in the last 18 months or so, and getting him fit for the rest of the season is a big challenge.
The next two games are absolutely vital for the Toffees. They have back-to-back home games against Leeds United and Aston Villa, and the club should aim to pick up six points from those two games.
Leeds, like Everton, are struggling badly in the league, and this is a perfect opportunity for the club to beat them at home and move out of the relegation zone.
Missing Calvert-Lewin will be a huge blow for Dyche. However, it is probably better that he first gets back to full fitness. If he picks up another injury after the Leeds game and misses out on the next five or six games, it would be a disaster for the club.