Everton have released a new set of training pictures from Finch Farm that show centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin back in the thick of the action.
The squad are shown being put through their paces at their Halewood base on Thursday ahead of Sunday evening’s match against Manchester United at Goodison Park.
Everton won the corresponding fixture last season 1-0 on Grand National Day thanks to Anthony Gordon's deflected goal and after back-to-back Premier League victories against West Ham United and Southampton, they will be looking to continue their upwards trajectory when they face Erik ten Hag's men this weekend.
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Here are five things we spotted from the latest set of pictures to come from training at Finch Farm.
DCL fit and firing
An encouraging sight for Evertonians came in the shape of seeing Dominic Calvert-Lewin taking part in the session.
The England international striker hasn’t played a game this season but when asked about his number nine in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Red Devils’ visit, Blues boss Frank Lampard confirmed: “He’s in contention.”
Head boys
The shots from the outdoor training show some pretty inclement weather so it’s probably no surprise to see the players doing indoor work at some point too and there seems to be some kind of head tennis game going on.
Centre-back pair James Tarkowski and Conor Coady were among those taking part on a specially-designed curved teqball (a sport first played in 2014, combining elements of football and table tennis) table.
Holgate return
Calvert-Lewin’s fellow Yorkshireman Mason Holgate is another Everton player on the comeback trail. The defender has been out with a knee injury picked up during the trip to Brentford on August 27 but was also pictured doing ball work.
While Lampard admitted this weekend’s game would come too soon for him, the 25-year-old could force his way back into the reckoning by the time the team go to Tottenham Hotspur.
On the pull
Both born in the Senegalese capital of Dakar, summer recruits Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye appear to have struck up an instant friendship.
The little and large midfield pair must be getting on well because there seems no way that senior partner Gueye, 33, would let the 21-year-old prospect get away with tugging his bib so blatantly unless it was in a playful fashion.
Gordon all smiles
Illness hampered Gordon ahead of the trip to Southampton with Everton’s home-grown hero starting on the bench at St Mary’s.
The winger was wrapping up warm here by wearing a snood but appears to have been celebrating a goal in a mini game with team-mates Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andy Lonergan, suggesting he’s back on form.
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