Time is still on Calvert-Lewin’s side

It goes without saying that Dominic Calvert-Lewin would rather not still be waiting on his first minutes of the 2022-23 campaign. The Everton frontman has, not for the first time, been cutting a frustrated figure during the opening weeks of a new season.

He was left watching on from afar as the Toffees went winless through their first six games, with only four goals recorded across 540 minutes of top-flight competition. Had he been available, maybe the net would have been hit with slightly more regularity.

Proven

Maybe it wouldn’t, with there never being any guarantees in sport, particularly at the very highest level. There is, however, no doubting that Everton are a better side when able to call upon their No 9 and that favour within football tips will be easier to come by when a proven international marksman is on the field.

That day may not be too far off. Which comes as a great sense of relief to all concerned. Frank Lampard has said of welcoming Calvert-Lewin back into the fold: “If we get him fit and firing, then our forward options look at lot stronger – naturally so because he is an England striker.”

Alongside the early fixtures he has sat out in the current campaign, a man with 11 caps for his country also missed 16 matches in 2021-22. That lack of game time, which hindered efforts to establish consistency and momentum, resulted in just five goals being recorded across all competitions.

Having hit 21 a year prior to that, and with double figures now expected rather than longed for, there is a professional hill approaching that needs to be climbed. Fortunately, time is still very much on the side of all concerned.

Enforced absences can sometimes be considered a positive, with spells on the sidelines allowing those concerned to bounce back stronger and fresher than colleagues and rivals. That is not really the case in the autumn of any given season, with everybody working their way up to full speed.

Some appear to be reaching that point, but Calvert-Lewin is starting from scratch. Rather than being well-rested, he will be playing catch-up. Everton really need him to hit the ground running, with there being little margin for error when establishing match sharpness.

Experience should count for plenty in that department, with a proven performer hardly about to enter the unknown. He is aware of what the Premier League is all about and will be more concerned with avoiding any more setbacks than the challenges posed by rival defenders.

Targets

He can be the man to kick-start the Toffees’ campaign, with a fuse lit that finally allows attacking fireworks to be set off. Inspiration is most definitely being sought, with summer departures added into the mix, and Calvert-Lewin is ready to provide it.

There are also World Cup Finals for him to aim at, with Gareth Southgate ready to start posting tickets out for a plane to Qatar. That tournament should act as added incentive for Everton’s leading frontman, with important targets both domestically and internationally helping to narrow individual focus.

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