DCL gives Everton welcome pre-Christmas boost

In some long overdue good news for Everton on the injury-front, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has said he should be ready to return to action in the club’s Boxing Day clash at Burnley.

The England international centre-forward has been out for so long it seems, it will almost feel as though he is a new signing when he eventually returns for Everton!

Calvert-Lewin’s injury problems have plagued the Toffees nearly all season since he last played against Brighton and scored back in August, and has perhaps come to sybolise all the wretched bad luck the club seem to have on this front.

The current campaign has so uncannily mirrored last season, when after a fast start with an unbeaten opening month or so, injuries decimate the squad and expose all the built up inadequacies that it has and the campaign begins to fall apart.

Undoubtedly, the Blues’ have been very unlucky again, although you have to ask why this football club has so many recurrent problems in this respect.

And, the England man’s issues are a particular worry, given that missed a sizeable chunk of last season as well and he is still a young player and so surely shouldn’t be having so many injuries.

Losing DCL has been a massive problem for new manager Rafa Benitez, as he had used his extremely limited funds this summer to primarily strengthen the wide attacking options and try to provide better, more consistent service to his number nine.

Having not unreasonably decided to build his attack so much around the England striker and got off to such solid beginning, Calvert-Lewin’s injury immediately undermined all that effort.

Deadline day signing Salomon Rondon hasn’t been able to provide anything like the threat of the 24-year-old Yorkshireman although of course Rondon was only signed to provide emergency back-up.

And, to compound all those issues fellow starting striker Richarlison has also been missing with a suspension and now he has picked up a long-term injury that looks likely to keep him out until the new year.

Well, now it looks as though Calvert-Lewin is almost ready to return and lead the Everton attack again, perhaps as early as Burnley away on Sunday.

I doubt he will start, even if fully fit, at Turf Moor, as that would seem a potential gamble that were it to fail and DCL got injured again (as Yerry Mina did on his return to action against Arsenal) would be catastrophic for the team. Hopefully, we will though see him at some point.

There has been plenty of speculation about whether or not Calvert-Lewin will stay at Goodison Park long-term and no doubt those rumours will continue, especailly if he gets back to his best and starts scoring goals again.

But, at least for now his return will be a sorely needed boost for the Blues’ and their fans as the team try to turn around a season that still threatens to come apart, perhaps terminally.