Everton manager Sean Dyche has confirmed that he will likely be without a long list of first-team players ahead of their FA Cup clash with Luton Town on Saturday.
Speaking to the press in his pre-match conference ahead of the fourth round tie, Dyche confirmed that Everton are likely to be without up to six players for the visit of the Hatters.
The match-winner from their third round replay with Crystal Palace, Andre Gomes, is set to miss out after picking up a calf injury since that victory last midweek, with Dyche saying it is very unlikely that he will feature.
Captain Seamus Coleman missed the Palace clash with a minor hamstring issue, and Dyche has also revealed that this game will likely come too soon for the right-back.
That should see Nathan Patterson start again on the right-hand side of defence, as Ashley Young is still yet to fully recover from the setback which has now sidelined him for six weeks.
Despite returning to action for Everton's Under-21s in midweek, a return to the first team is not on the cards just yet for the 38-year-old.
Perhaps the biggest setback for Everton is that of Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose problem has been described as more serious by Dyche.
Doucoure also missed the Palace win after returning to the side for their 0-0 draw in the Premier League with Aston Villa.
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The midfielder's first issue saw him miss five matches late in 2023 and into the new year, as Everton took just three points from a possible 15 during that spell.
After the Palace tie, Dyche said: "It's a hamstring injury, but the other leg. It's nothing to do with his recent injury. We're hopeful it settles down quickly but it's too early to tell."
That was the first time that Dyche had won a game in charge of Everton without Doucoure in the side, at the ninth time of asking, illustrating his importance to the way that the side functions at present.
The news on Doucoure only exacerbates Everton's current crisis in midfield, as Idrissa Gueye is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Dele Alli is unlikely to be seen in an Everton shirt again after undergoing surgery on a groin issue.
Dyche has not put any timescale on a possible return for the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, and he is out of contract at Goodison Park in the summer.
The Everton boss admitted that it will be a difficult window given the financial restraints at the club, but he claims that there is no need to sell any players, as loans will be targeted.
In being asked whether there are any particular players he is interested in bringing in on loan this month, Dyche bluntly replied: "Loads and lots."
Everton could be forced into entering the market given their current injury crisis, as they may only name four senior outfield players on the bench for Luton clash, one of whom is Ben Godfrey who is being strongly linked with a move away from the club.
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