Double-injury rules Calvert-Lewin out of return Bournemouth trip

How did he dislocate his shoulder and carry on playing? There was no sign of that injury during the match was there?

I find that a bit bizarre because you don't play on after your shoulder's dislocated. I don't even remember him having treatment other than to his leg.

Anyway, he will have a good few weeks off to recover before returning to help with the forthcoming relegation battle.

It is imperative we sign a front-line striker in January.

That said: not buying support for him or a player that can play instead of him (Maupay is a good foil but not a main striker) was criminal: a multi million pound business started production without any main production machinery in place….no wonder competitors have gained a strong advantage.

I hope the Summer of 2022 won't be defining as the transfer window that consigned Everton once and for all to relegation.

I also remember Andrei Kanchelskis dislocated his shoulder against Man Utd in September and was back by October.

Granted, he wasn't fully fit but at least he was playing.

Move on from him and study a players medical history before buying. When he was skinny, he had no injuries until he bulked up. Just saying

Two careers potentially down the Swanee.. if I was them I'd be none too pleased with the club.

Who knows, for those that ask when it happened to Calvert-Lewin, maybe something similar happened to him.

I know plenty of local lads here in Wales who have had recurrent shoulder dislocations – once it's happened once, there is a greater chance of it popping out again.

I expect that Hollingsworth will be on the case and Dom will get back asap.
If he did do it going for goal against Fulham, then some of the pathetic commentators on here should feel embarrassed. Calvert-Lewin has always given his best (and been rushed back more than once).

This is a massive blow because we already have one of the least potent forward lines in the Premier League, and definitely need to bring in another forward after Christmas.

Maupay can't score. Rondon?… remember Rondon. Our midfield has trouble passing, never mind scoring.

Unless we can find some goals in the second term, we will be in another battle to stay up.

Maupay and Rondon were both “desperation signings” and let's face it, the January transfer window will not be littered with quality available strikers.

It feels like we're in for another loooong, backs-to-wall season, where survival is the only goal. How depressing.

He hit the first team early as all-action centre-forward and, 5 years down the line, it's catching up to him. We need to buy a high-calibre striker (Toney or Zaha?) and give Calvert-Lewin a proper long-term program to get himself right.

They need rest (which they won't get) and most likely shouldn't be on the pitch at all.

Calvert-Lewin at his best was a good target man who led the line well. He was never a goal poacher nor likely to be another Harry Kane.

What is clear is that we need someone up front who can get the goals. Finding someone in January is going to be a tough task. Maybe one of the strikers we have out on loan could fit the bill. They couldn't do much worse than what we have at the moment.

The break gives us a chance to get Dominic fit again and find a forward who can bring some desperately needed goals and assists. Thelwell's got his work cut out with that one, may be back in for Kudus, Brereton Diaz, or both?

Oh to see an Everton team freed from fear. Go out and enjoy. We don't have to be reckless, just courageous. At this apparently bleak moment in our history, let's honour our proper heritage and see where it takes us. I don't think any fan would blame the manager if we saw that.

Just as well we are due to have a break which will give him 5 weeks to recover from his shoulder problem and his hamstring problem.

But for me it underlines Lampard's mistake in not signing another striker once Richarlison left. Let's not forget we played our first 5 games of the season with Gordon as a false 9. And Lampard only signed Maupay days before the window closed, so that tells me he didn't really fancy him but obviously his other targets fell through.

Playing Maupay as the lone striker in place of Calvert-Lewin just doesn't work, so who he plays up top against Bournemouth will be interesting.

Has he rushed himself back too quick, hoping to go the World Cup? He hasn't set the world alight in the few games he's played so, if he has rushed back, it's all been for nothing!

Goals is what this team needs. We are more solid, harder to beat so, although January is not ideal to be looking for a goal getters, it's a must now!

Maupay might be 10-goal-a-season man, but that was playing most of their games; he's not getting 10 sitting on the bench.

Just mix the front men up. Play Gray and Maupay up front? Try losing Gana or Onana to get an extra front player in? We need to try stuff!!!

The back 4 with 1 holding midfield player should be solid if we are causing problems at the other end.

Offence is the best form of defence!!!

Coady and Tarkowski are our best chance of staying up this season but, even with a more solid centre to the defence, if we can't score goals we're heading to the Championship.

Remember whose goals kept us up in the end against Palace – Calvert-Lewin's and Richarlison's.

What about Gerry Byrne, dislocated his shoulder early in the 1965 FA Cup Final and carried on for the rest of the game and extra time; different breed of player in those days on entirely different rates of pay.

Bring back National Service, and Corporal Punishment never hurt anyone, I say!!

We need Calvert-Lewin to have some better luck fitness-wise for sure. Get well soon, Dom. Keep your chin up, worse things happen at sea etc.

But for God's sake, don't make the same mistake twice in a week! Surely you must have something better to do on Saturday, rather than make that mammoth journey down to the south coast to watch that shower of shite. Don't punish yourselves!

The team obviously do not care about the loyalty of its supporters, and the sacrifices they make to watch their team. All they're concerned about are their over-inflated wage-packets.

The Calvert-Lewin injury saga continues and with only Rondon and Maupay in the wings who will get the goals and, more to the point, who will create the chances.

The Iwobi bubble seems to have burst of late along with Onana, coupled with the inconsistency of Gray and Gueye leaving us in disarray.

Everton have been paying big money over the last few years for new gaffers and they have all failed but can they have all been to blame?

Tom Davies looked good in his early days but has gone backwards and it seems Gordon is going the same way.

Maybe they should have taken Chelsea's bid and used the money for a striker. Hindsight is of course 50/50.

500 games and a lifetime 35% winner?

Hard pass.

I'm not even sure if I would be giving Frank the tap on the shoulder without knowing who Thelwell has his eye on for January. On the other hand, Villa picked up Emery and Wolves picked up Lopetegui. I don't think either of them will be in the bottom 6 in March. Forest, Southampton and probably Leeds are expected to be down there with this team if we don't get it together.

DCL will be lucky to score 5 goals this season if we are honest with ourselves.

Maupay doesn't suit the way we play and isn't the answer clearly from what we've seen so far.

Rondon is tripe, no future here, will probably never kick a ball for Everton again.

What are the other options?

No to mention what it would do for morale, which is most probably rock bottom, but it is only down to them (the players) to grasp the Bull by the Horns and start earning both corn and survival. Any poor result will have a long time to fester with this WC Break. Whereas a win could spark new belief, and of course confidence.

My late father, an eminently positive man as well as massive Evertonian said to me once, Everton are not a lucky club and have to work hard for their success. This would be early 70s. It was the only such thing I ever heard him say.

As to DCL, it all seems to be falling apart for him. He played so many games earlier on in a combative and physical role with no injuries whatsoever.

Players unlucky to have an unsuitable physique usually show signs earlier than this often continually breaking down with the same recurring injury. This being Everton, Dominic is building a list of varying ailments to add to the weirdness.

Guy must be pretty frustrated about it all. We can but hope.

Sometimes I think it's an illusion and is just a collision of circumstances. Then I think No, it's allotted – and if ever there were a persuasive case of that, it would be Everton FC.

God knows, perhaps.

There are forces and energies beyond our control and full comprehension. They are there, we know it, but we can't frame and express them to our own accepted measures of "proof".

Someone knows, somewhere...

Just missing too many games for the last season and a half after hitting some top form and getting into the England set-up.

I feel for the lad but as you say we cannot be a charitable cause and may have to get a real class replacement soon. I would even take a chance with badass Mitrovic.

It's worrying times again but now the board has to make some serious decisions about a January signing and about Lampard and his staff.

However, the one option the manager hasn't tried is to play Rondon and Maupay together. They may even complement each other and provide a target for the long passes that both Coady and Tarkowski are capable of.

Why long ball? Because quite simply we haven't got the midfielders capable of playing through a team.

Seemingly the fringe players got a chance to stake their claim on Tuesday – except Rondon. Is this because the manager is going to play him on Saturday, or because he has written him off completely? We will know the answer to that question when we see the starting line-up.

For me, we need two attack-minded players in January that can get us five goals each and hope our improved defensive displays allow us to nick a few 1-0 wins.

Now I'm not unsympathetic as I said, I know he's been injured in the past year of that, but his goal return for various reasons is not good enough for us anymore.

We need to seek his replacement as soon as possible.

I couldn't agree more, it's time to move on from Calvert-Lewin.

No-one will convince me that spending 㾻 million on Maupay was a better idea than getting the likes of Michy Batshuayi on loan for the season.

We seriously need to scout Europe in the transfer window for a forward who can get us a few goals, and it's about time the rest of the team stepped up and started contributing, We seem to do okay when we take the lead but, if we go a goal behind, we look lost and impotent.

With better service around him, he could very well turn out to be a very prolific striker. I see that possibility with the likes of Garner, McNeil, Iwobi, Patterson, Mykolenko feeding him passes that he can run on to or knock back for other runners.

At the moment, I would like him to recover fully, and build up his strength and flexibility, and closely watch videos of Haaland's goals who has a similar style of play but obviously with a different level of productivity.

In the meantime, I hope Thelwell is working overtime to strengthen our attacking options in the January transfer window.

I don't mind Maupay and have nothing against him but agree that we should have filled that place with a loan signing whilst we lined up the ducks.

Same goes for McNeil, I quite like him too but he is not the answer to our problems. Signed for a combined 㿊M where that money could have been spent on someone like Gapko who would have added real attacking verve and threat IMO.

Thelwell has done okay since coming in on limited funds but the above two signings are a little baffling.

Lampard said:
"Then he still has the knee [problem], so he's been getting through with some issues.

"The knee is probably the most prominent injury that we want to get right. It's a similar injury to what he had before - it's been aggravated, so this period gives us time to get it right.

Going back earlier from what we knew in summer, it's not even about getting him on the pitch, it's about keeping him on it and having him at 80 or 90% fit.

We've seen careers wane and wane in the past due to injuries. Darron Gibson, James Vaughan, Fabian Delph, Jack Rodwell – all from their mid 20s basically never put 10 games together ever again.

Unfortunately Calvert-Lewin looks to be going much the same way, we won't even be able to cash in on him soon.

Tony @13,

I think you've hit the nail on the head. Calvert-Lewin has been playing with injuries in the hope of getting in the World Cup squad; now that's gone, the real injury situation is revealed. I'm sure those in the know would have tried to advise/counsel him, to no avail apparently.

Getting rid, as some on this thread suggest is not the answer, and who would buy him anyway? Forget England, Dom, for the near future anyway. Get properly fit, and concentrate on getting back into the side even as an impact sub, but certainly not a starter when the time comes (whenever that may be).

Rondon and Maupay, I never really considered that combination, and still don't see it working; however, it might just work, especially after the last humiliation at Bournemouth!

With regard to signing a quality striker, who's out there, and more importantly, who would come?

We have to stand by Frank, despite some of the derisory comments on this thread.

Until Kenwriight and his cronies go, there will be no more glory days, just the annual avoidance of relegation. I've been through the good times as well as the bad, however; once an Evertonian, always an Evertonian.

Is there a gem waiting in the wings at Finch Farm?

Maybe Calvert-Lewin can find his fitness and form, but we should treat that as a possible bonus and not something to rely on.

We need a reliable focal point, maybe Moussa Dembele, whose contract is up at the end of the season, or try again for the lad at Chelsea, or maybe someone like Danny Ings, who hasn't had a great time at Villa, but is the type of striker we need.

"The Keeper"

Great watch.

Did Frank mean Calvert-Lewin has aggravated his knee or the fans?

Either way, we need to move on.

Try and show a bit of compassion. My only worry is, how much will our biggest problem this club has, Moshiri & Kenwright, give Frank to spend on a striker? Hope it's more than the 㾸M he got to spend on Maupay, and the money upfront.

We cannot count on Dom this season. Whatever minutes he plays and goals he scores will be a bonus.

January is crucial.