Everton midfielder Dele Alli has had a difficult few years in football, and has now suffered another injury setback to delay a potential return to action.
The 27-year-old spent last season on loan at Besiktas, where he made 15 appearances before missing most of the campaign with injury.
He is yet to feature since, but it was recently mooted that he could return to training soon.
However, he has now confirmed that he has suffered a setback to his current groin injury.
Dele suffers setback
The midfielder has confirmed that he is set to be on the sidelines for even longer, with no new timeframe given on his injury.
Taking to his Instagram account, Dele has shared the frustrating news, as he will now have to wait longer before being able to potentially get his career back on track.
“Setback with the injury, but making sure I come back stronger than ever!” Dele posted.
Dele’s future
Sean Dyche has previously hinted that he would like to give Dele a chance, but given appearance-based clauses in his contract, it is unclear whether the club can give him that chance when he does return.
It was previously reported that the club could look to renegotiate his contract, which included heavy add-ons as part of the deal to size him from Tottenham Hotspur.
When he does return, Everton may wish to reintegrate him to solve their own attacking problems, but he is still a long way away from knowing what kind of form he will be in when he returns to the pitch.
Dele was one of the most promising youngsters in Europe, but years of struggles and injuries have meant that he has not been able to fulfil his potential.
Everton fans would love to see him back at his best, and if the club can help him return and regain his confidence, they could have an excellent player on their hands.
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