Everton first team coach Steve Stone has opened up on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury problems.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the 51-year-old has admitted the striker is a couple of weeks away from linking up with the squad, however he insists Calvert-Lewin won’t be pressured to be back in time for the first match of the Premier League campaign.
Calvert-Lewin‘s recent career has been plagued with injuries and was most recently forced off in the Toffees’ penultimate game of the 2022-23 campaign against Wolves.
The 26-year-old is still recovering from the problem that kept him out of the all-important win over Bournemouth, but Stone revealed the coaching team are desperate to get him back to being ‘fit fit’ rather than just simply available.
“Dominic always looks great,” He told the ECHO. “He’s probably a couple of weeks away from joining back in with us because of what happened at the back end of last season.
“Dominic probably needs time. We don’t come out now and go ‘We need to play Dominic Calvert-Lewin right now.’
MORE EVERTON STORIES
“Dominic is a little bit behind the rest at the minute in terms of where he’s at but that is to be expected, we knew that from the end of last season. It’s not about if Dominic is going to be fit for the first game of the season, it’s can we get Dominic ‘fit fit’ and we mean really fit like he was two years ago so when we play him you go ‘oh yeah.’”
Should Dominic Calvert-Lewin start against Fulham?
It’s unclear whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be ‘fit fit’ in time for Everton’s opener against Fulham, however there is no need to start him unless he is fully ready to go without risking even longer on the sidelines.
Assuming the Toffees have brought in an attacker or two within the next month, Sean Dyche could opt to give a fresh face a chance up top.
Of course, he might not even have much of a choice if Neal Maupay follows Ellis Simms out the door – however, he definitely shouldn’t have to see bringing DCL back early as the only alternative.