The Toffees striker has been on the sidelines through injury since February at Goodison Park.
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be in the “thinking” for the Premier League game vs Crystal Palace this weekend, according to Sean Dyche.
What’s the latest injury news on Calvert-Lewin?
The Toffees forward has been extremely injury prone this season having missed a total of 14 games, initially due to a knee injury and now a hamstring problem, as he hasn’t featured in the top-flight since the 1-0 victory over Arsenal on February 4.
Earlier this week, the Blues held a behind-closed doors match at Finch Farm which the 26-year-old participated in to step up his recovery and get vital minutes into his legs, and having come out the other side of that with no reaction and feeling positive, he could finally be ready to stage his comeback when his side travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Dyche confirmed that Calvert-Lewin is now up to speed and is expected to be involved for the relegation showdown vs Palace, whilst also providing a welcome update on the fitness of Amadou Onana. As quoted by Everton’s official website, he said:
“He will certainly be in my thinking, without a doubt. [The behind-closed-doors match on Tuesday] was all about him, really. It was the end of a rehab period so we’re very pleased that he came through that and he felt good.
“Ama (Onana) has made a bit more of a recovery. He was training today and we’ll see how that reacts tomorrow.”
How big is Calvert-Lewin’s return?
Calvert-Lewin may have failed to make the impact he would have hoped this season but in general he’s an extremely important player for Everton, having been dubbed a “monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so it’ll definitely be a huge boost for Dyche to have him available.
The Sheffield-born talent has clocked up 77 goal contributions (59 goals and 18 assists) in 203 senior appearances on Merseyside and is the ideal target man up top with his height, where the £100k-per-week star was averaging 3.2 aerial wins per top-flight game prior to his absence.
Finally, Calvert-Lewin is a great option for the manager to have at his disposal with the versatility that he adds to the squad, having operated in six different positions since the start of his career, including anywhere across the frontline, so his potential return this weekend can only be a positive for the Toffees.
