Sean Dyche faces a selection headache ahead of Sunday's Premier League season finale with several players seemingly unavailable for their relegation decision against Bournemouth
Sean Dyche is struggling with a number of injuries in an Everton shirt
Sean Dyche is struggling with a number of injuries in an Everton shirt
The equation is now simple. One win, and Everton will be safe in the Premier League for another season.
However, the road to that resounding victory at this weekend's crowded and hot Goodison Park gets more complicated as every minute ticks by with what counts as a £100m relegation match.
?It's the 'insurmountable' gap between the top flight and the championship as calculated by EFL president Rick Parry - and put into context what is at stake for the Merseyside club, as they continue pick up Leeds and Leicester.
?It's no surprise that manager Sean Dyche is urgently awaiting the fitness news when his exhausted squad picked up another injury last Saturday, even as they came one step closer. step to safety. It looks increasingly likely that Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Nathan Patterson will feature against Bournemouth on Sunday, as the duo are struggling with a hamstring injury against Wolves.
?Both missed training at the start of the week while they were recovering, in a desperate attempt to get fit for the final game of the season…and 'Everton's final game at Premier League for a while.
?However, for Dyche, at this point, nothing is more important than the personalities of his team, not the identities of the players tasked with making another great escape attempt.
?The former Burnley boss knows all about the pressure of these situations, and he suggests it's all about mental toughness for now, even if the Blues suffer a walking injury. “The most important thing for me is the mentality,” he said. ?
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (right) is unlikely to recover in time for Sunday's season finale
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (right) is unlikely to recover in time for Sunday's season finale
"I can't stress that enough. We changed the squad three or four times in the second half (against Wolves) and we asked a lot of players to keep changing. They were very alert, and they were. keep going and going.
"Every time we changed (because of injury) the players had no excuses. They adapted to what was needed and in the end took a point that could have been important.
Dyche is really having a headache with defense when star striker Calvert-Lewin is injured, captain Seamus Coleman is out for the whole season, while Vitalii Mykolenko has missed the last two matches and Ben Godfrey is out for a month. ?That made it difficult for Everton to build a defence, with striker Dwight McNeil forced to play at left-back in the previous game, and centre-back Michael Keane positioned along the back line before moving forward.
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However, their manager thinks now is the time to stay calm and show the spirit needed to get through the final push. “At Wolves, I asked Jimmy Garner to play in four different positions. He agreed without asking any questions.
“Alex (Iwobi) has held different positions and there is not even a question. Keano (Michael Keane) goes first, not a question.
"That's the mentality you want, especially when we're short on players. Now it's about mentality and commitment - we have to take care of ourselves and that's what we're going to do.
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