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Everton: Greg O’Keeffe doesn’t expect Dominic Calvert-Lewin to return this weekend
Journalist Greg O’Keeffe has insisted on the All Together Now podcast that he doesn’t think Dominic Calvert-Lewin will play for Everton this coming weekend.
The Lowdown: Injury woes continue to mount up
In what was only Sean Dyche’s second game as Everton manager, he was immediately met with the same problem that had been impacting Frank Lampard during his time at Goodison Park, as Calvert-Lewin was unable to feature due to injury.
The England international simply can’t get on top of his injury problems, as since the start of last season, he’s managed to start just 23 Premier League games, coinciding with the Toffees’ spiral down the league.
Everton currently rely heavily on Calvert-Lewin, as their only other striker options are Neal Maupay – who’s hit double figures just once in the Premier League – and Ellis Simms, who has just two league starts in the top flight under his belt.
The Latest: Calvert-Lewin expected to miss Leeds clash
Dyche is seemingly facing a challenge to get Calvert-Lewin fit and then keep him fit – and O’Keeffe isn’t expecting to see the striker in what is a huge relegation clash on Saturday afternoon.
Speaking on Dyche’s lack of forward options, O’Keeffe said: “He’s got very little capacity to change it now. Well, he’s got no capacity to change it until the summer. But because of the absolute disaster of January, we’ve left ourselves in such a difficult situation and I don’t think Calvert-Lewin will be fit for Leeds.”
The Verdict: Dyche must cope without Calvert-Lewin
While some may say Everton can move away from the threat of relegation if they can keep Calvert-Lewin fit, the facts are that nobody can rely on the England international because his injury record is simply horrendous.
Therefore, Dyche must find a way to get his tactics clicking without their target man, as that simply didn’t work on Monday night, with Ellis Simms struggling massively at Anfield – he managed zero shots on target and touched the ball just 19 times (as per FBref).
Dyche may well turn to someone more experienced in the form of Maupay, however, given his slight frame and lack of height, Dyche clearly felt starting Simms was the better option at his disposal. And given how he has worked with players such as Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and Wout Weghorst at Burnley, it may require a change of style to get the Frenchman working under his system.
