Sean Dyche gives injury update with Spurs and Man City next up

Dyche's latest casualties include Amadou Onana who couldn't play for Everton at Fulham and possibly Arnaut Danjuma who had to go off near the end of the game.

The loss of Onana is particularly serious because the manager is of course without three other central midfielders for various reasons.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Andre Gomes and Idrissa Gueye have all been unavailable in recent games, because of injury in the first two cases and international duty in the latter case.

Senegal international Gueye will it seems be back from the Africa Cup of Nations in time for the Tottenham match, the Toffees next Premier League game, although that was far from certain a few days ago.

It all makes for a very frustrating situation leaving the Blues with virtually no midfield and now possibly an injury to a forward who although he hasn't played much is probably going to be needed more over the next few weeks and months.

In addition, Dyche is also still without his club captain Seamus Coleman who is close to full fitness but who still may not make the weekend's match.

So as Everton face several tough Premier League matches coming starting - with Spurs tomorrow lunchtime and then followed by a trip to champions and eternal nemesis Manchester City a week later - it could hardly be more challenging for the manager trying to pick a consistently fit eleven.

No new signings had of course came through the door in the January transfer window, as we all expected given the club's precarious position financially and still with no certainty about the future ownership.

Athough the club's prospective new owners 777 Partners have yet to get clearance for their takeover, they have invested yet more capital into the Blues making it nearly £200 million the US investment group have provided to Everton since last September.

Even if they do get approval eventually and take control of the club it will obviously be too late for them to affect the remainder of this season, on the pitch at any rate.

With a paper thin squad that has already been stretched nearly to the limit and no additions this month, Dyche will have to keep everthing crossed most of his player stay fit.

And continue to squeeze every little bit from each of them if the Toffees are to pull away from the relegation zone and spare us another of those horrible, nerve shredding final days scenarios.

It is a difficult task made even tougher as the Blues are still awaiting the outcome of their appeal over the November points deduction with another possibly round the corner if they are found guilty of further FFP breaches again.