Everton are hoping that Seamus Coleman can turn out for the Under-21s this weekend as he nears readiness to make his return to first-team action.
The club captain has been out of action since May when he suffered a knee injury in the 2-2 draw at Leicester that ended up requiring surgery.
Since the operation, he has been working patiently to get back to full fitness and he resumed training with the rest of the squad a couple of weeks ago.
His next step is to get some competitive minutes to build match fitness and manager Sean Dyche said in his press conference ahead of the visit of Brighton on Saturday that Coleman is ,”going well. He needs some game time, of course, but he’s been training well and I think he’s pleased to be back on the grass.”
Dyche had no definitive news on the other long-term absentees, Dele Alli and André Gomes, except to say that both are continuing their own rehabilitation work at Finch Farm.
Dele has “a time to go” and is also “back on the grass” but is also “in a good place”, according to the boss who said that Gomes has been frustrated by a niggly calf injury but is also on his way back.