---
title: "Everton: Joe Thomas stunned by Tom Davies return"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/everton-team-news-joe-thomas-stunned-by-tom-davies-return-frank-lampard/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Everton News"
published: "2022-05-02T16:45:52Z"
modified: "2022-05-02T16:45:52Z"
---

# Everton: Joe Thomas stunned by Tom Davies return

**Journalist Joe Thomas was left amazed after Tom Davies made a ‘surprise’ return to the [Everton](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/everton-fc-news/) matchday squad against Chelsea on Sunday.**

### The lowdown

The 23-year-old hasn’t featured for the Toffees [since the goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-davies/leistungsdaten/spieler/314210) almost six months ago. He sustained a knee injury in that game and then damaged his thigh the following month during his rehabilitation (via [The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/news/everton-midfielder-tom-davies-says-he-wont-play-again-this-season/PhhBjWE8jGb8/)).

Everton announced that it was a ‘[high-grade](https://theathletic.com/news/everton-midfielder-tom-davies-says-he-wont-play-again-this-season/PhhBjWE8jGb8/)‘ injury which required surgery, and [Davies himself said](https://theathletic.com/news/everton-midfielder-tom-davies-says-he-wont-play-again-this-season/PhhBjWE8jGb8/) that he wouldn’t return until next season.

The Toffees [left him out](https://theathletic.com/news/everton-midfielder-tom-davies-says-he-wont-play-again-this-season/PhhBjWE8jGb8/?redirected=1) of their revised [Premier League](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league-news/) squad in January, [only restoring him](https://twitter.com/joe_thomas18/status/1520739580567240710) when Jean-Philippe Gbamin sealed a loan move to CSKA Moscow.

However, Davies was [back](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-davies/leistungsdaten/spieler/314210) on the nine-match Everton bench on Sunday, watching on from the sidelines as his team boosted their top-flight survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Chelsea.

[Everton news!](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/)

### The latest

Thomas, Everton correspondent for the Liverpool Echo, was left amazed by the presence of Davies in the matchday squad at the weekend, given the 23-year-old’s woes in recent months.

The journalist [tweeted](https://twitter.com/joe_thomas18/status/1520739580567240710): “Incredible effort from Tom Davies to get back into Everton matchday squad ahead of expectations. A surprise spot on the bench for him today – his injury was deemed so severe he was not even registered in Premier League squad in January, only returning after Gbamin left on loan.”

\[freshpress-quiz id=”389207″\]

### The verdict

Davies’ return is a significant and unexpected boost for Frank Lampard and Everton.

He is an important squad player at Goodison Park, having [featured in five of the Toffees’ seven](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-davies/leistungsdaten/spieler/314210) Premier League matches prior to his injury in November.

To make his return all the more welcome, Everton were [short of bodies in central midfield](https://www.premierinjuries.com/injury-table.php) after Donny van de Beek (on loan from Manchester United) picked up a groin injury and Andre Gomes was also sidelined.

While most teams have played 34, or even 35, league matches, Everton still have [five remaining](https://www.skysports.com/premier-league-table), so there is still plenty of time for Davies to make a positive impact in the Toffees’ battle against relegation.

**In other news, [Dominic King hailed this man’s performance against Chelsea on Sunday](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/everton-fc-news/everton-1-0-chelsea-iwobi-premier-league/)**