Everton coach lifts lid on Dominic Calvert-Lewin fitness 'issues' and new recovery plan

First team coach Steve Stone insists the goal is to get Dominic Calvert-Lewin back to his fitness levels of two years ago rather than fretting on whether Everton’s number nine is available for their Premier League opener against Fulham on August 12.

With less than a month to go now until the Blues kick-off their 2023/24 campaign at home to former manager Marco Silva’s Cottagers, their number nine is facing another race against time to be in contention after suffering a hamstring injury at Wolverhampton Wanderers on May 20. Calvert-Lewin missed Everton’s first nine matches last term and has played fewer than half of the games in both of the past two Premier League seasons.

Although the centre-forward has so far yet to score from open play under Sean Dyche, the Blues’ attack looked far more potent with him in the side and Stone acknowledges they’ve suffered when Calvert-Lewin has been absent. Speaking at their training camp by the shores of Lake Geneva, he told the ECHO: “There’s definitely a spring in the step in terms of getting the boys around the place, it’s really important that we put last season behind us and we have to look forward to it.

“It was emotional from the end of the season really. If we look at from Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal went in, there was the relief and then the five weeks off which was really emotional given what we’d all been through but you’ve got to put that behind you and we go again now.

“When we got here we realised we had a good squad and the issues that we’ve had have been with Dominic’s situation where we haven’t been able to get a centre-forward on the pitch on a regular basis. That’s key for any team and I think we need to address that in terms of us needing a focal point at the top end