Journalist Dean Jones has warned that an injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be bad for Everton – but manager Sean Dyche may be able to work successfully with the alternative strikers at his disposal.
What’s the word?
While it looked to be a perfect start for the man taking over from Frank Lampard as the Toffees beat Premier League leaders Arsenal 1-0 at Goodison Park on the weekend, there are lingering concerns.
Primarily, of course, is the fact that the club are still in the relegation zone. More relevant to that last game, however, is the fact that Calvert-Lewin came off after 60 minutes and is now an injury doubt for the next game.
Indeed, amid struggles with his fitness in recent times, the 25-year-old is now set for a scan ahead of the Merseyside derby against Liverpool, with Dyche saying: “We will have to wait and see. I don’t think it is a drastic one but he needs to settle it down so we will probably give it two days before we scan it just as a precaution at this stage.”
In reaction to this, while speaking on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones said it’s not great that the club only have Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms as alternatives but suggested that the new manager could still get a tune out of either player.
He explained: “He’s got this knock at the moment, he’s supposed to be having a scan. So if Calvert-Lewin was out, I mean, they’re left with Simms and Maupay.
“So that’s not ideal, but then again, maybe Sean Dyche could make that work, too.”
Decent alternatives
Goals have been very hard to come by for the Toffees so far this season. Indeed, in the Premier League, only Wolves with 15 efforts have scored few than Everton’s 16.
Unfortunately, Calvert-Lewin’s persistent injury issues have limited him to just one goal this term, and Maupay is stuck on the same measly figure too in his debut season with the club.
Simms, on the other hand, has been scoring with decent regularity. Indeed, while out on loan at Sunderland he netted seven times in 17 games. However, in two league appearances since being recalled, he is yet to find the next for Everton.
At 22 years of age, he is yet to score the Toffees at the senior level and it remains to be seen if he can make the step up for Dyche. However, if Calvert-Lewin’s injury is bad, the new boss will have to work some sort of magic if his team are to find the goals to keep them from relegation.
But given Dyche has often shown he can perform better than the level of his resources would suggest in various seasons at Burnley – even finishing seventh in 2017/18 – we can see why Jones has backed the new Toffees boss to find a solution while Calvert-Lewin recovers.