Sean Dyche: 'Dele Alli has a long way to go in injury recovery'

The former England international joined on deadline day from Tottenham Hotspur on a free in January 2022, becoming Frank Lampard's first signing at the club.

Things never got going for Alli at Goodison Park though, similarly to how it had fizzled out for him at Spurs.

Alli played 11 games in the second half of the 2021-22 season, mostly as a substitute, but he did have a role to play in their crucial comeback win over Crystal Palace which kept them up in the penultimate game of the season, inadvertently setting up Richarlison's equaliser.

However, after coming on as substitute against Aston Villa on the second weekend of the following season, Alli has not featured for the club since, 18 months on.

Injury and a disappointing loan move to Besiktas means that Alli is yet to feature under Dyche, who has provided an update on the player.

Speaking to Sky Sports about when Alli could return, Dyche revealed: «We'll see, he's got a long way to go and we have deliberately kept him back from it and I agreed that with him just to give him time and give him space, so that's what we're doing. Hopefully he'll be back, we don't know.

»We're giving him the privacy that he needs at this time. He's in a good state, I spoke to him recently and had a good, long conversation with him. Making sense of another injury is difficult but he'll come through that I'm sure," Dyche added.

The 27-year-old underwent groin surgery in January which might potentially end his season, and with his contract up in the summer, it could see Alli not play for Everton again.

Despite returning to training in December, another setback hit Alli as he