Injury expert Ben Dinnery has claimed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is unlikely to start Everton’s next game even if passed fit, as the club attempt to navigate his injury problems.
What’s the latest on Calvert-Lewin?
The striker has been in poor form for Everton with just one league goal to his name this season, and he has suffered from a number of injury setbacks.
He has missed the last two games for his club which both resulted in losses where Everton failed to score, and Neal Maupay deputised in his absence.
He could return as Sean Dyche’s side face Nottingham Forest, but the extent of his current fitness is unclear.
Speaking on the Premier FPL Injuries channel, Dinnery claimed that even if Calvert-Lewin is fit enough to play a part against Forest, he will not start for fears that he could injure himself again.
(22:50) “Sean Dyche said that he will monitor the fitness of Dominic Calvert Lewin, of course, he’s been sidelined with that hamstring issue,” he stated.
“The wider circle is, it’s not the here and now, it’s about bringing him back and keeping him back for the remainder of the season. So that’s the conundrum that Sean Dyche is in, so for that reason, even if he is passed fit, I don’t see him starting.”
Who should start up front for Everton?
Both Calvert-Lewin and Maupay have been disappointing, with just two league goals between them, whilst Everton’s current top scorer Demarai Gray has not started their last five league games.
Gray could start through the middle until Calvert-Lewin is fully fit, and if the 26-year-old can add more goals to the side, then Calvert-Lewin could face a fight on his hands to regain his place.
Another option is young forward Ellis Simms, who returned to the club in January after a loan spell at Sunderland, but question marks remain on whether he can make the step up from the Championship to the Premier League.
Everton are in a battle for survival, and their striking issues are a huge factor in their poor form this season. They have scored just 17 goals in 25 league games, and if these problems are not resolved soon, they could face a first-ever relegation from the Premier League.
