Everton will wait to see how Amadou Onana’s groin issue "settles" over the weekend before thoughts turn to whether he will be ready for Newcastle United.
The midfielder was not involved for the trip to Crystal Palace, missing his second consecutive game. He had trained on Thursday and said he was hopeful of making it back for the Selhurst Park clash.
After the goalless draw in south London, Sean Dyche offered little by way of timescales but said he was “hopeful” Onana was close to a return and added club captain Seamus Coleman, also injured, is making “good progress”.
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The improving condition of Onana and Coleman suggest Dyche is finally closing in on being able to return to ‘Plan A’ as Everton head into a crucial run of fixtures. The run of good form that his arrival spurred was built on playing 4-5-1 with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s return to the fold - having been frozen out in Frank Lampard’s final weeks - crucial to the approach. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was also central . However, after only being available for the first 60 minutes of Dyche’s first 11 games in charge, the Blues had managed to stay competitive until Doucoure’s red card against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Mali international has now served his three-game ban - Everton taking just one point from those fixtures - and will be eligible to face Newcastle on Thursday night at Goodison Park. Calvert-Lewin managed 90 minutes at Palace and Dyche said he had come through unscathed, meaning the England striker appears to have overcome a persistent hamstring injury and now has Premier League minutes in his legs.
With Onana closing in on his return, Coleman is the biggest doubt for Newcastle. While the skipper's absence has been felt in recent weeks as both Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate have struggled to cover the 34-year-old - Holgate seeing red after being sent off against Palace - the Blues will be at their strongest in weeks, possibly months, for the crucial home match and potential reunion with Anthony Gordon.
Being inside the relegation zone with six games to go is a nightmare scenario but Dyche has highlighted the squad issues he has had to deal with in recent weeks. He is, however, on the cusp of being able to return to Plan A just when it matters most.
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