Sean Dyche admits Andre Gomes left frustrated as latest Everton injury update emerges
The Everton boss discussed the progress of some of his longer term absentees ahead of the match with Luton Town
Seamus Coleman is yet to join in with first team training but is on track with his recovery.
Sean Dyche said the Everton club captain is continuing his work with physios and sports science staff as he builds on his recovery from a knee injury suffered at Leicester City towards the end of last season.
Andre Gomes, another player yet to feature this season, is much closer to a return.
The midfielder, who Dyche has spoken highly of in recent weeks, is training with the senior team after what his manager described as a frustrating summer of minor injuries.
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Dyche is now close to a full strength squad following the recovery of Jack Harrison, who made his debut in the Carabao Cup win at Aston Villa. He started the season with a series of injuries - Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dwight McNeil and Arnaut Danjuma all missing from the first XI in the Premier League opener against Fulham.
Calvert-Lewin then suffered a facial injury upon his return but has scored two goals in the three games since he came back as a substitute against Arsenal. McNeil has also been impressive on his return from an injury suffered in pre-season at Stoke City, while Harrison made his anticipated first appearance at Villa Park - just days after his first minutes of the season came for Everton Under-21s.
Dyche, who has acknowledged he has a thin first team squad, is close to having a fully fit unit for the first time this season. Dele remains some way from a return after a setback to the injury near his groin that required surgery over the summer, while of Coleman, Dyche said: “He is going well, he is on the grass with the physios and sports scientists, but he is not training yet. Everything is going along the course it should be going.”
Vitalii Mykolenko is a doubt for the weekend game against Luton Town after being replaced at half-time at Villa after picking up a knock. Of Gomes, who did make appearances in front of Dyche during pre-season, the manager added: “He is back on the grass with us. He is short on gametime, Andre. He has been training well with us. He has had some minor injuries but they came back-to-back, which sort of meant he was injured for around 10 days, then back for a week, then injured again.
"It has been very frustrating for him and he really needs gametime now because he is coming to the end of that training period to try and make sure his body is good and strong. But he is certainly a player I have really enjoyed watching in training. He has played a couple of games in between these injuries and we hope to get him fit soon.”