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Everton manager Frank Lampard has confirmed striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be out for up to six weeks with a knee injury.
The 25-year-old suffered the injury in training and will now be forced to miss the early part of the new Premier League season.
He spent much of last term on the sidelines but returned for the final four league games, with the England international scoring the crucial goal to help keep his club in the top flight.
But he will now be back in the Finch Farm treatment room, as he looks to get himself back to the player who scored 16 goals in 33 Premier League appearances in the 2020-21 campaign.
Everton boss Lampard was frustrated with the injury to his main striker but conceded that these things can happen.
“Losing a player like Dominic, his quality, in the week going into the first game is obviously going to affect you,” the former Chelsea midfielder told reporters.
“I think we’re probably looking at around six weeks for the injury. It comes with the territory of training at this level.
“We’ll have to work around it, other players will have to step up and hopefully that six weeks passes relatively quickly and we’ll get Dominic back.”
“Through pre-season we were constantly commenting on how good he looked, strong, we were really pleased so it’s a knock for everybody, particularly for him.”
Calvert-Lewin’s absence leaves Lampard with a selection headache for Saturday’s Premier League opener against Chelsea, with a real lack of striking options available to him.
Last season’s top goalscorer Richarlison has departed for Tottenham Hotspur this window in a £60million deal, while Salomon Rondon is suspended after being sent off against Brentford at the back end of the 2021-22 campaign.
Lampard suggested that it will be Dele Alli to play up top against Chelsea and did not rule out the possibility of a striker being brought in before the end of the window.
When questioned on any potential business, the 44-year old replied: “I wouldn’t speak about other targets individually, but in that area of the pitch [attack], we are obviously aware.
“We lost Richarlison who was versatile across the front, we’ve brought in Dwight [McNeil] but we’re well aware of areas where we want to strengthen.
“A lot of clubs will be making moves in the first few weeks of the season. I don’t agree with it but it is what it is.
“Some clubs probably keep their cards close to their chest because of that and wait to see what happens at the end of the window. We know where we want to get to.
“In terms of last season, we finished where we were for a reason, we lost Richarlison who’s a big player for us, so we have to assess once the window shuts.”
