Everton manager Frank Lampard has assessed Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s chances of returning for the Merseyside Derby while lifting the lid on what is impressing him about Lewis Warrington’s progress. Calvert-Lewin hasn’t kicked a ball all season since suffering what the Blues boss described as a “freak” knee injury ahead of the his side’s opening fixture against Chelsea.
Assessing team news before tomorrow’s trip to Brentford, Lampard said: “Tom Davies we hope is in contention. He had a small feeling in his groin in the warm-up before Fleetwood and pulled out of that game but hopefully he’s in the squad.
“Abdoulaye Doucoure is injured, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will train next week and other than that we’re pretty much where we were going into Fleetwood where we got some good minutes into some players who are returning from injury or lacking fitness and game time so that was a big bonus so on that front there were some positives out of mid-week.”
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In terms of Calvert-Lewin’s return – with the striker initially given a prognosis of approximately six weeks on the sidelines – Lampard said: “I think he’s slightly ahead of schedule but we must be calm because we can’t push him at this stage. He’s working really hard, great focus out on the grass.
“If he trains in the middle of next week will it make him available for Liverpool? It will be tough but can we start to look at the games after that? Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, yes.”
Lampard also hailed the progress of teenager Lewis Warrington who came on as a 64 th minute substitute against Fleetwood on Tuesday for his Everton debut after making 17 appearances on loan for his home town club Tranmere Rovers in League Two in the second half of last season.
The Everton manager said: “He’s knocking on the door. It is a good barometer because Fleetwood was a really tough game and he had to come on an influence it and he did with his play, with his receiving and his passing.
“He’s a really talented boy, he has an incredible attitude, an incredible young professional who is desperate to play for Everton and I love that. That oozes out of him every day in training.
“So I was really pleased to give him his full debut and it’s well-deserved, he’s in the squad and we’ll see what happens in the next week or so goes on towards the end of the window because with his development, what he produced last year, it’s very important that we keep his upward curve going. But while he’s here in the meantime, he’s knocking on the door because of the way he’s training and playing.”
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