Chris Sutton has assessed the issues Frank Lampard is facing at Everton entering the new Premier League season, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin missing Chelsea’s visit through injury.
Chris Sutton feels ‘Everton have problems’ after Dominic Calvert-Lewin injury
Frank Lampard has a big issue on his hands after confirming Dominic Calvert-Lewin will sit out Everton’s opening game of the Premier League season after he suffered a knee injury. That’s according to Chris Sutton, who has detailed his concerns in a column for BBC Sport.
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Calvert-Lewin is expected to miss the next six weeks after sustaining damage to his knee in training earlier this week. The Toffees monitored the extent of his issue across a few days before ruling the England international out of Chelsea’s visit to Goodison Park on Saturday.
Lampard will now welcome his former club to Merseyside without a recognised first-team striker to hand. While Calvert-Lewin is injured, Salomon Rondon cannot feature at home to Thomas Tuchel’s Blues with the Everton star set to serve the final match of his suspension.
Rondon mindlessly delivered a two-footed lung on Rico Henry within only four minutes of coming on against Brentford in May. The foul merited a three-game ban, with one fixture carried over into the new term after sitting out meetings with Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
Goodison Park cannot carry Everton as Frank Lampard left searching
Sutton doubts Goodison Park will be able to carry Everton across the line against Chelsea on Saturday now Lampard is searching for an option at striker with Calvert-Lewin injured.
Even if Sutton feels the Blues are travelling with Tuchel yet to settle on his side. He agreed the £62m signing of Brighton’s Marc Cucurella this Friday, and is eying Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Leicester ace Wesley Fofana, per The Telegraph.
“It’s odd that Chelsea don’t seem to be properly prepared for the start of the season,” he wrote. “They are still trying to make signings and their squad is not ready.
“But Everton have problems too. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is injured, Salomon Rondon is suspended and Richarlison has obviously been sold [to Tottenham Hotspur for £50m, up to £60m after add-ons]. So, they have no-one to lead their attack on Saturday.
“They are going to have to rely on the Goodison Park crowd to get them through this game, like they did at the end of last season. Their fans will give them a lift, but they can’t help them by scoring goals.”
Missing Chelsea’s visit to Everton and the opening six weeks of the term with an injury will frustrate Calvert-Lewin. The 25-year-old would have hoped to put his fitness issues in the past after last season’s troubles. He only played 17 league games last season for five goals.
Rondon’s suspension, Richarlison’s sale and Ellis Simms joining Sunderland on loan for the season may now see Lampard forced into an unnatural selection. But it can also be Nathan Broadhead’s breakthrough after 10 goals on loan in League One at Sunderland last season.
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