Everton will view the international break as an opportunity to potentially get back some of their injured players.
Injury issues have plagued Everton across the 2024/25 campaign with numerous players being sidelined for long periods.
David Moyes has returned to Merseyside and turned things around on the pitch.
Everton have been able to create a 17-point gap on the bottom three, with their Premier League survival all but guaranteed now.
What he has not been able to turnaround is Everton’s injury luck.
Iliman Ndiaye has been out injured for weeks and the Senegal international is just one of the attacking options to be sidelined.
Two weeks remain until Everton play their next game of football, and what a huge boost the 61-year-old could receive with seeing players return for the Merseyside Derby.
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
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David Moyes issues triple Everton injury update
There have been some positive signs of late with Armando Broja making his return to Everton training recently.
But the Toffees remain without some of their top players in Dwight McNeil, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ndiaye.
Speaking to Everton TV during the international break, Moyes has assessed the possibility of the trio returning over the coming weeks.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily going to have any of them back after the [international] break but we’ve got three boys there – Dwight, Ili and Dom – who we could all do with seeing back if we could,” Moyes said.
“I have to say, I think the players have done brilliantly.
“I want them to keep doing what they’re doing. We’re trying to encourage them to play better, have the ball more, try to make more chances and we’re working on it.”
Injuries have troubled Everton all season and it is not just something specific to Moyes.
However, it only highlights the importance for Everton to have a busy summer of transfers, especially with so many players set to leave.
Dwight McNeil has now returned to Everton training
Since Moyes spoke to the Everton media team, there has been a big update in the fitness of one of the players.
McNeil has been out injured for months after suffering a setback which required him to undergo surgery.
But there has now been some positive news as one club insider has claimed the midfielder has returned to training at Finch Farm.
‘Everton winger Dwight McNeil has returned to light training after suffering with a knee injury that has kept him out of action since early December,’ they said.
With Everton looking good for Premier League survival, it will be interesting to see how quickly McNeil is pushed back into the squad.
But his creativity has certainly been missed over recent weeks.