Everton's preparations for their next Premier League match are about to get into full swing, as club football returns to centre stage over the coming weeks.
Frank Lampard has been without some of his key stars as they have travelled to play matches for their respective countries, but that has given him the chance to perhaps work on some specifics with others who have stayed at Finch Farm. A significant group of the first team have still been involved in sessions, while recent images have shown the under-21 group getting to grips with the senior side as well.
Before the current break from action, Lampard's squad depth was starting to be tested in some areas - and was looking very strong in others. Injuries have played their part for the Blues across the opening stages of the campaign and that looks to be continuing into the coming weeks unfortunately.
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However, there could well be some options coming back for the manager as he prepares for an important run of games before the World Cup. Squad depth in numerous areas of the pitch could change quite drastically quite soon.
Unfortunately, Nathan Patterson's injury looks like it will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future at least, with Everton confirming on Tuesday that a layoff of four-to-five weeks is expected.
Aside from that, at this stage at least, it seems that the Blues have come out of the international break with no new concerns around their squad. Anthony Gordon got important minutes for England under-21s, Vitalii Mykolenko shook off an issue picked up against West Ham to play 90 minutes for Ukraine and Alex Iwobi continued to prove himself just as important for club as country with a full match against Algeria.
Back at Finch Farm, word emerged last week that Dominic Calvert-Lewin was being closely monitored by the club's medical staff after feeling some tightness in a training session. However at that stage it was still expected that he should be available to finally return to the Everton squad against Southampton after the current international break.
A potential comeback for the 25-year-old could be key for Lampard in terms of his depth and options. Granted it's unlikely he would be thrown into the mix straight from the start, but he offers a wealth of different qualities to Neal Maupay and could certainly complement the summer arrival over the course of these crucial weeks.
Looking at the defence, there's also the potential for important returns to take some of the pressure off Conor Coady and James Tarkowski. The pair in central defence have been fantastically dependable for their side when partnered together in recent matches, but having more options is always going to be beneficial.
Yerry Mina has been absent since the first match of the season after being taken off injured in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Goodison Park in August. The club's official website is usually a good barometer for the potential returns of players, and the Colombia international is currently listed as being back in October.
Whether that's early in the month or later on is yet to be seen, but it's worth remembering that he's still one of Everton's best central defenders when he's fully fit. If he can keep himself healthy for any period of time then he could stake a real claim for those starting places in the side, although you have to admit it's a big "if" given recent evidence.
Another player set to improve options in the back line however is Mason Holgate. He picked up a knee injury against Brentford after beginning the campaign in solid fashion once more and is another listed as being available again at some point in October.
Abdoulaye Doucoure completed his return from injury just before the international break to bolster options in midfield, while James Garner also got some good minutes under his belt this week for England's U21s with a solid display against Germany. There's a real competitive battle for those places in the side now which Evertonians will be delighted to see.
Allan's departure does take one of those options away, but in realistic terms it probably doesn't change the depth in that area too much. The Brazilian was seventh-choice as it stood and was left out of the squad against West Ham down to a selection decision, and so the writing was always on the wall.
The other potential injury return that fans will be crossing their fingers around is that of Jordan Pickford, with the goalkeeper picking up a thigh issue against Liverpool. It will be welcome to have the No.1 back as soon as possible, but Asmir Begovic proved he's a more than capable back-up last time out - and the signing of Eldin Jakupovic has further bolstered those numbers too.
Elsewhere some players still will be a way off returning, namely Andros Townsend and Ben Godfrey. Both of their issues are long-term and it seems unlikely that they would be available for the Blues again before the World Cup.
But while the focus might be on the disappointment of losing a player as good as Patterson, Everton can still look at the coming weeks as a great opportunity to finally get over the injury problems that have plagued their opening portion of the season.
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