Everton have been given an injury boost with Andre Gomes returning to Finch Farm. The 26-year-old has been out of action since November with a broken ankle and was expected to be sidelined for six months. He looks on course for an early return, however, after returning to individual training less than three months after his fracture.
Gomes joined Everton permanently from Barcelona over the summer and has gone on to make nine appearances in all competitions this season. The Portuguese international broke his ankle in Everton’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur (November 3) following a challenge from Heung-min Son and Serge Aurier.
He’s missed 13 games across the board, but the Toffees haven’t suffered too much in his absence of late. Everton boast three wins from their last four Premier League games and have lost just once in seven.
It remains to be seen when Gomes will officially be back out on the pitch, but his return date will be much sooner than anticipated. Jean-Philippe Gbamin (thigh) is still out of action after undergoing surgery, but Carlo Ancelotti has Fabian Delph, Tom Davies, Morgan Schneiderlin at his disposal now.