Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to the 'huge' Everton injury blow on Dominic Calvert-Lewin before they play Chelsea in the Premier League.
The Lowdown: Thursday update
Football Insider claimed after the initial injury news broke that Calvert-Lewin is facing as many as three months on the sidelines thanks to a tear in his lateral collateral ligament.
Frank Lampard has since confirmed in his pre-Chelsea press conference on Thursday that the striker could be out for around six weeks, but of course the striker would need added time to get up to full match fitness and sharpness.
The Latest: Whelan reacts
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claimed that losing Calvert-Lewin for a serious amount of time is a 'massive, huge blow'.
Sharing 'whispers' of a deal for Michy Batshuayi, he says it's 'worrying' for Lampard that the Goodison Park outfit have not managed to bring in another striker already:
“It’s a massive, huge blow.
“It’s the last thing they needed before the start of the campaign – their talisman is injured for possibly three months.
“They’ve only got Rondon to fall back on. He’s not a natural goalscorer, he doesn’t have the energy or the threat of Calvert-Lewin.
“They’ll be scrambling to get a striker. I’ve heard whispers about Batshuayi, but they need to get someone quickly.
“This is exactly what they should have been planning for. They’ve got nothing to fall back on.
“They could have gone out and got another striker to plan ahead for this.
“It’s worrying times for Frank Lampard.”
The Verdict: Big blow
It is a big blow to lose Calvert-Lewin for the start of the season, especially considering that Salomon Rondon is suspended against Chelsea and both Richarlison and Ellis Simms have been let go to Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland respectively.
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In an injury-hit season last term, he still scored five goals and made two assists in the top flight, and in the two campaigns prior, he managed double figure goals (Transfermarkt).
The 25-year-old remains such a key player for the Toffees, and this latest injury setback will not only affect them, but also his chances of making Gareth Southgate's England squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.