Injury concern cleared
A couple of Everton fans were perhaps a little concerned when Fabian Delph left the field after a great performance against Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.
The midfielder was introduced back to the starting line-up for the first time since December to help his side to a 1-0 win. However, he was substituted in the second half after receiving some treatment on the pitch, leaving to a standing ovation shortly after being seen to by the physio.
As he walked slowly back to the touchline, a few supporters might have been a little worried that he had picked up another injury problem. His record over his time at the club probably goes some way towards that, with a litany of issues affecting the former Man City man's progress at Goodison Park.
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However, the latest round of Everton's training images from Finch Farm prove that any concerns can be dispelled. Delph seemed to play a full part in the session alongside his teammates and was pictured in numerous drills with a smile on his face.
A lot of fans will be very happy to see that. The midfielder was a crucial aspect of his side's latest victory, playing in a defensive role in the centre of the pitch that he seems best suited to among all of the options currently available to Frank Lampard.
All-action return
If we're talking about injuries and players being back in training, however, then we've got to mention Yerry Mina. All eyes would have been on the Colombia international over the course of this week as he makes his return from injury.
The centre-back has been absent since February, picking up his latest problem in only Lampard's second game in charge of Everton. In the first half of the defeat to Newcastle United, the defender was forced off the pitch at St James' Park with a quadriceps tendon injury.
Thankfully, the issue did not need surgery and he has been working hard to get himself back on the pitch as soon as possible since. He did, of course, play some role against Manchester United, as he was in the tunnel and on the touchline giving all of his teammates as much motivation as he possibly could in his own unique way.
On Thursday it was revealed that the Colombia international was back on the training pitch with his teammates. But the latest set of images show him right back in the mix with the rest of the squad.
Lampard could have an interesting decision to make when the Leicester match comes around next week. Does he throw the defender straight back into the mix thanks to the crucial fight his side find themselves in, or does he hold off and give him a bit more time to recover?
Mood revealed
Lampard following the Manchester United game discussed in a little bit of detail on what he wanted to do with his squad over the upcoming small break. They had just played three matches in seven days, and so the first thing on the agenda was to give them some time to rest before working them on the training pitch.
But a lot of the focus from the manager, while obviously wanting to improve certain important aspects of the play from his side, was on their mood in the camp. That win over Ralf Rangnick's side was absolutely crucial following such a demoralising defeat to Burnley a few days previously, and it was imperative that the mood would be kept high over the course of this small break.
And the latest set of images from Finch Farm show that Lampard is clearly getting his wish. The players not only are all smiles in many of the pictures, but they are putting across a much more relaxed demeanour.
That's reflected in the manager himself as well. A few pictures from the training ground show him sitting on a football in a cool manner and watching his players take part in a drill in front of him.
Of course there's a certain amount of seriousness that the Blues will have to take into their upcoming fixtures, and there's nothing stopping the squad being exactly in that manner for their matches while still enjoying themselves in training. Attitude could be everything right now.
Youth absences
While there have been a lot of youth players involved in recent training sessions for Everton, they were perhaps a little conspicuous by their absence in the latest set of training images.
The likes of Lewis Dobbin, Reece Welch, Tyler Onyango and more have been quite regular features over the course of the campaign - but especially since Lampard took the reins at Goodison Park. Since then, Isaac Price has also found himself in a Premier League squad.
Injuries to senior players might well have played a factor in just how many youngsters have been involved for the Blues this season. And, perhaps, that could be a reason why some looked to be absent from this latest training session.
With first-team players returning from their respective injury problems, there may not have been space for any of the youngsters to take up their usual roles in these sessions. Or, of course, it could just be a coincidence that none of them have been situated in front of the camera at any point.
The under-23s will be in action on Monday night at Goodison Park against Chelsea, playing their first match since the departure of David Unsworth as manager and director of the academy.
