Dominic Calvert-Lewin was able to last longer than Sean Dyche had anticipated and later told his managers he felt ‘fine’ after returning for Everton in their 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.
Calvert-Lewin started the match at Selhurst Park and played for 90 minutes before being withdrawn for Neal Maupay. Within that period the England striker showed glimpses of what he can bring to a team that has lacked an experienced, natural targetman for the 10 games he has been absent through a hamstring injury.
It was Calvert-Lewin's first appearance since playing the opening hour of Dyche’s first game as Blues boss back in February and he tweeted after the game: “We know what we have to do. Thanks travelling Toffees!”
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Calvert-Lewin had handed his match shirt to a fan on the final whistle in a show of appreciation for the support from the away end.
His return could be crucial to the survival hopes of a side struggling to score. Dyche has sought to play down the importance of a single player within his squad but accepted Calvert-Lewin’s availability could change the psychology of his side, perhaps reducing the pressure on others to score goals and giving them more freedom as a result.
Asked for his thoughts on the No.9's performance, Dyche said: “I’m really pleased. He’s played more than I thought. Today had that weird feel of a game where something might drop so we left him on and took a little bit of a risk seeking reward but he did say he was fine.
"I thought he worked very hard and he had a couple of chances and looked sharp generally. That will get even better, obviously his fitness isn’t true Premier League fitness, and his sharpness will continue to improve.”
Dyche said he had not given a specific message to Calvert-Lewin ahead of the game and instead had been consistent during his rehabilitation: “I said I want to make sure you are fully fit and that you are coming in and enjoying your football because I know from the stats and the facts of the past, when he is really fit and really strong, that is when he puts in his best performances and that is what we want from him.”
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