Dominic Calvert-Lewin update as Groundhog Day emerges for Everton in injury news
Everton faces a nervous wait on the verdict of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury scare after the striker was substituted in Sunday’s loss to Manchester City, as reported by Dominic King’s column in the Daily Mail.
The 11-times capped England international did not come back out of the dressing room for the second half in what has been described by manager Sean Dyche as a precaution but the fans will be worried about a Groundhog Day situation.
With recurring absences, Calvert-Lewin’s involvement has been limited to just 16 appearances this season and a return of just two Premier League goals.
In his reflections on the 0-3 win for City that puts them on the brink of another title, King noted a familiar fright for the Toffees.
“Anxieties amongst Everton supporters have returned ahead of the last two games, not least as Dominic Calvert-Lewin was substituted with a tight groin,” he said.
“Pep Guardiola referred to Everton as being ‘the best set-piece team in the Premier League since Sean Dyche arrived’ but they need more of a threat than just free-kicks and corners.”
Essential outlet
As noted above, Dyche has typically overseen a vast improvement in the output of his team at set-pieces with Calvert-Lewin playing his part.
Not only that, he is the current focal point of the attack and a key part of the plan to secure Premier League survival.
As an essential outlet for his teammates, Everton’s chances of getting the job done over the final two games will diminish if he is ruled out.
Hopefully, the manager’s pre-emptive strike will avert that situation but the picture will not become clearer until clarity is provided over the next few days.
As it is, Everton will be feeling ok about the prospects of the end of the season and even more so, if Liverpool secure a win at Leicester on Monday.
That would leave the situation of only having to match the Foxes’ results over the next two weeks in order to avoid the drop to the Championship and all that it would entail off the pitch, at Goodison.