As if a points deduction-induced relegation battle wasn't bad enough, Everton now have something of an injury crisis on their hands as they fight to stay in the Premier League.
Latest Everton injury news
Sitting just one point adrift of safety, the next fourteen games have become a race to retain their topflight status and stave off any further sanctions from the league. In what will be a momentous challenge for the Toffees, it is vital that manager, Sean Dyche, has his full squad available for the run-in.
After Ben Godfrey limped off in the second half of Saturday's 2-0 loss at the hands of Man City, Everton are now staring down a growing list of first-team players out of action. Andre Gomes' calf injury is set to keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, whilst Abdoulaye Doucoure is not far off a return after sustaining an issue with his hamstring.
Good news on the injury front comes in the returns of Amadou Onana and Seamus Coleman, who both featured in the loss at the Etihad Stadium. Despite this, the Toffees' faithful will be disappointed to hear that they will be without another player going into key fixtures against Crystal Palace and Brighton.
Aranut Danjuma injury update
Following Saturday's game, the Liverpool Echo reported a new injury blow from Dyche on Aranut Danjuma, who admitted the forward looks likely to remain unavailable for the next two weeks due to the ankle issue he suffered against Fulham, missing the upcoming two games in the process. Life on Merseyside has not been easy for the Dutchman, with 20 appearances yielding just two goals for the 27-year-old.
Despite recent struggles, Danjuma's quality is clear with 25 goal contributions in 37 games for Bournemouth back in the 2020/21 season, first putting him on the radar of English fans. Whilst falling just short of promotion from the Championship after losing to Brentford, two goals for Danjuma in the semi-final ties showed that his future lay beyond England's second tier.
What followed was another successful spell, this time with Spanish side Villarreal. It was his time in Spain that saw him earn plaudits from then manager, Unai Emery. Now in charge at Aston Villa, Emery spoke of transfer links to his former player last year, telling reporters:
"He's a good player and, last year, he played very well at Villarreal with us. But now I'm not thinking about him."
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Now back in England with Everton, Danjuma's impact stretches well beyond his single league goal this season. The forward stands out as an important part of the Toffees attack, taking almost four shots per 90, the fourth most among his teammates. As per Fbref, the Dutchman, is also a danger with the ball at his feet, ranking fourth in his side for successful take-ons and second for progressive carries per 90.
Whilst only without Danjuma for two games, Everton fans will likely have earmarked these upcoming fixtures as opportunities to pick up some much-needed points. As Everton attempt to retain their status as just one of six sides to have never been relegated from the Premier League, there is no doubt that Danjuma may have a part to play in this fight.