Sean Dyche has met with the media in the leadup to the home match against Bournemouth and there was not many surprises in his rundown of team news. There are no new injuries to be worried about so the three players who are sidelined were the only players needing any updates.
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Seamus Coleman and Andre Gomes continue their rehab work and are getting closer to a return date. Dyche believes that Gomes is closer to a return:
“Seamus is still making process, but a bit away yet. Andre has been in and out with niggly calf injuries, so he’s touch and go whether he makes the squad. They’re the main two. Hopefully, they will be back but not at the moment.”
The only other player who is not available is Dele Alli who continues to build up fitness after suffering a setback with his groin injury.
Dyche continues to assess the work that is being done after the disappointing defeat to Luton last weekend:
“I don’t necessarily think that was not on show against Luton. I think the actual performance, if you take the goals out of it, was very dominant. That little edge that it is to keep that going, to build on it and really go bang and lay that authority down, that is the bit we are just trying to constantly improve until it becomes almost like a lifeblood where you ‘have’ to win that game. You can smell it on players, it is really difficult, but you can smell it when the appetite is there to go ‘right, we are having this, we are taking this on again lads, every inch of us’. We get there and are just that bit short – but that bit is the most important.”
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Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images
Dyche was also asked to comment on the return to fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has been on the score sheet in the last three games and looks to build on that this weekend when Bournemouth return to Goodison Park.
“He’s getting there, to true total fitness. The closest and best I’ve seen him was arguably at Brighton last season, in terms of his all-round game. It was excellent. He is showing signs of that recently, scoring goals is obviously a good habit.
I think he is getting to the endpoint in terms of being totally fit, clear of mind, clear of body and doing what he does best which is creating and scoring goals. He is showing really strong signs of that.”
Watch the complete news conference:
