The troubling Everton problem that Sean Dyche must now solve before deadline day

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Everton have so many issues to contend with at the moment.

With another alleged breach detailed just last week, following on from a ten-point deduction they are still appealing now, their battle with the Premier League this campaign has been legendary.

And yet, they also have the three sides behind them in the division to contend with too, breathing down their neck and desperate to drag them into the relegation zone in their place.

Sean Dyche has it all to do, and crucially has to do it with a squad that seems to suffer a new setback with each passing week too.

However, few have proven as devastating as Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose absence remains the greatest blow the club continues to feel.

When is Abdoulaye Doucoure back from injury?

Having been withdrawn at half-time in Everton’s away win over Burnley back in December, it was largely expected that this was merely a precautionary measure.

However, seeing him miss the subsequent clash with Manchester City sent alarm bells ringing.

The Liverpool ECHO suggested that he was ‘likely to resume training’ that week, but apart from a 90-minute stint against Aston Villa, Doucoure has now missed seven of the last eight games across all competitions.

Tuesday’s match against Fulham will continue that troubling trend, with Dyche only managing to note: ‘[Doucoure] is settling down well. He’s not going to be back this week, though.’

How can Everton deal without Abdoulaye Doucoure?

Well, the short answer that can be gained from this season is, they can’t.

Simply put, when Doucoure has not started a Premier League match this season, Everton have lost. His three-game spell on the sidelines, missing matches against Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, has coincided with their worst run of form since their first three matches of the campaign.

His importance to the side cannot really be quantified other than that key figure, although he is the only real player who thrives in that role just behind the striker.

Arnaut Danjuma, Jack Harrison, Dwight McNeil and even Beto have trialled it, with varying success.

But few can compare to the 31-year-old, who remains the club’s top scorer this season with six strikes.

In fact, journalist Connor O’Neill even branded him ‘#EFC’s most important player’ back in 2022, a notion that has only been solidified in the two years following.

Those aforementioned names are unfortunately the only solutions available at the moment, and with Dyche desperately trialling a 4-4-2 yesterday, it is a worry that there is no solution for dealing with Doucoure.