Everton star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is likely to once again miss an important game for the relegation battling side after he picked up another injury in training, according to injury specialist Ben Dinnery.
The English striker has struggled with fitness all season and after failing to make the squad against Leicester on the weekend, manager Frank Lampard has confirmed he picked up another knock which will see him miss one of the team’s most important games of the season, the Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
Calvert-Lewin’s absence from the squad could not come at a worse time for the Toffee’s as they find themselves amidst a relegation battle with Burnley as they sit 17th on 29 points, only one ahead of the Clarets who occupy the last drop zone place. They will need all possible points if they are to comfortably survive the season and losing your best goalscorer prior to an important fixture like the Merseyside derby will not help their chances of shocking a high-flying Liverpool side.
The news of Calvert-Lewin’s most recent injury came during Lampard’s Thursday pre-match press conference and Dinnery reported on his Premier FPL Injuries YouTube channel that the striker could face up to over a week off, even longer potentially.
He said, “Dominic Calvert Lewin again, nowhere to be seen on Wednesday, his season has almost been a right off. Frank Lampard confirms a complaint of tightness in his thigh on the training pitchers and therefore that rules him out for around about 10 days now, we’re hoping for a return potentially against Chelsea in the beginning of May. But again, there’s no guarantees with that.” (0:44)
Will DCL's injury cost Everton their survival?Yes
No
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TIF Thoughts on Calvert-Lewin injuries…
The English striker has not been lucky with injuries this season and has been a big reason why Everton has struggled for consistency and finds themselves in the battle for Premier League survival with only seven games left for the Toffees.
He initially picked up a fractured toe back in August 2021 which kept him out until December 31st 2021, missing 16 games for Everton across all competitions (Transfermarkt). This however has not been the end of the injuries, he picked up an unspecified knock during the team’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on January 22nd and then again in February where he picked up an adductor injury during training which kept him out for a further 10 games.
There is no doubt that Calvert-Lewin is a great striker, look at his 20/21 season where he racked up an impressive 21 goals and five assists across all competitions for Everton. However, the injuries have been a huge problem and could potentially hinder his development in the future if he doesn’t sort out the problems. Everton’s survival could come down to depending on his fitness levels during the final stretch, if he does not make the field enough, the could end up in the Championship next season.