Sean Dyche said it would be a "close call" over whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin would be available for Everton's trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The striker has not featured for Dyche since being substituted in the second half of his first game as Blues boss against Arsenal at Goodison Park last month. His withdrawal, around the hour mark, was as a precaution over a hamstring issue but Dyche has focused on the need to rebuild his overall condition in the weeks that have followed.
He hinted that remained the case after Everton's defeat at Arsenal on Wednesday night. Everton's reliance on the 25-year-old as a focal point was once again underlined in the 4-0 defeat.
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Dyche has expressly refused to discuss timelines when asked about Calvert-Lewin's fitness and when supporters can expect him back. The forward has suffered an injury ravaged 18 months and missed the start of this campaign with a knee injury, recovered to then be hit by shoulder, knee and hamstring issues before the World Cup break and then struggle as issues persisted into the new year.
While he has scored only one goal this season his presence is crucial to Everton's bid to remain in the Premier League, particularly with the club now creating more opportunities under Dyche but still finding scoring difficult.
Dyche was asked once again about Calvert-Lewin in the aftermath of the Arsenal defeat, and whether he would be available for the trip to the City Ground. He said: "We will see but I think it will be a close call because we have got to get him properly fit. I don't think he has been for a while now so we have got to make sure he is properly fit because we can't put him in for one game and lose more."
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