**David Moyes has hinted that Everton could recall Harrison Armstrong in January.**
Armstrong caught the eye during his first senior outings for his boyhood club with a standout performances against Peterborough United in last season’s FA Cup.
The midfielder began this term in similarly promising fashion after a star turn in the Carabao Cup win over Mansfield Town before being allowed to join Preston on loan.
Since his temporary move to Deepdale, Armstrong has become a key figure for Paul Heckingbottom’s side, who remain firmly in the mix for a play-off place.
It is the 18-year-old’s second spell in the Championship after impressing during the second half of the previous campaign when he had a similar spell at Derby County.
But with the Blues now light on options in the middle of the park ahead of the January transfer window, Moyes has refused to discount Armstrong being recalled.
He said: “I’m really happy with how Harrison is doing. He’s coming on great.
“I think Preston would be hugely disappointed if we took him back.
“He’s been out for the last few games with an injury but hopefully he’s due back very shortly. We’ll consider it in January.
“But I think at the moment, him getting the games, at the age he’s at, and where he’s performing and Preston hopefully will have a really good chance of making the play-offs, it’s a good level to be playing at.”
The Everton manager also confirmed that loanee Merlin Rohl is set to be sidelined until early in the New Year after [undergoing surgery on a hernia problem](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/everton-fc/61832-david-moyes-reveals-fresh-everton-surgery-blow-merlin-rohl-scott-mctominay/) last week.
“We are light in midfield,” admitted Moyes.
“Merlin having an operation has left us light, so we are quite short, but we’ve got other people who can play in there like Charly Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil if we need to as well.
“Overall, the four midfield players that we had, Merlin is probably not going to be back until the start of January and Idrissa’s absence keeps us short in that area.”