Everton midfielder facing fitness race for relegation…

Everton midfielder facing fitness race for relegation showdown as injury problems continue

Tom Davies is facing a battle to be available for what could be his final game at Everton.

The midfielder has been absent for the last two matches due to an injury to his hamstring. The Blues end the season at Goodison Park against Bournemouth on Sunday.

And doubts remain over whether Davies, whose current contract expires this summer, will be available.

Davies is thought to have suffered the issue, described by manager Sean Dyche as a “hamstring tendon” problem, between the 5-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion and the defeat to Manchester City. He was an unused substitute at the Amex Stadium and, after not being named in the squad against the eventual Premier League champions, Dyche confirmed his exclusion was due to a fitness concern.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, where a late Yerry Mina goal earned Everton a valuable point, Dyche said Davies’ issue appeared “slightly more tricky” than a typical hamstring issue and, asked whether the midfielder had a chance of recovering in time for Bournemouth’s visit to Merseyside, said: “He’s got a chance but I’ll have to wait and see.”

Uncertainty surrounds the future of Davies and the rest of the Everton squad members whose contracts expire this summer. Dyche has stressed that ensuring Premier League survival is his main focus and, while initial conversations have taken place with those affected and their representatives, serious attention cannot turn to next season before those at the club know which league they are preparing to compete in.

Davies has been unfortunate with injury again this season, having started several games - including the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park - earlier in the campaign. The 24-year-old suffered a knee injury that forced him to leave Everton’s trip to Australia without playing a game in November as the club participated in the Sydney Super Cup during the World Cup break. A serious knee injury blighted his ambitions last season too.

He has made 19 appearances this season but has not forced his way into Dyche’s first choice midfield and earlier this year spoke of his desire for first team football. He has made 172 first team appearances since bursting into the senior squad from the academy, becoming the club’s youngest starting captain as he took the armband in a Carabao Cup game against Rotherham in August 2018.

Also injured and facing a challenge to be available for the Bournemouth game is Ben Godfrey, who has missed recent matches with a groin issue. Of his chances of making the final game, Dyche said: “Touch and go I would suggest, at best.” Dyche is more hopeful that Vitalii Mykolenko will have recovered from a thigh problem in time.

The injuries suffered by Davies and Godfrey were compounded at Molineux as both Nathan Patterson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffered hamstring issues that are set to be assessed. Club captain Seamus Coleman and on-loan full back Ruben Vinagre have already been ruled out of any further involvement this season.

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