Everton have been hit with a huge injury setback over the fitness of forward Andros Townsend...

What's the latest?

Toffees boss Frank Lampard has revealed that the winger has suffered a serious blow to his knee and he is now set to be assessed by the club in the coming days.

He was forced off the pitch during the side's 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and is now poised for a spell on the sidelines.

The Athletic quote Lampard as saying: "It looks bad. A knee injury. He got his studs caught in the grass and we’ll scan him over the next day or two but the early signs are that it will be a bad knee injury."

Fuming

This news will surely leave supporters fuming as losing Townsend will be a major blow for the club heading into the final couple of months of the campaign.

Whilst the Everton boss has not provided a timeline on how long the attacker could be out for, it does not sound promising for the ex-Palace man. Lampard's quotes do not make it sound like he is hopeful of a swift return to action after the international break, with the gem's season now in doubt.

Townsend missing any number of matches is a huge setback for the club because of the position they find themselves in. They are currently three points clear of the bottom three and still have Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea to play in their final games of the season.

The Toffees are in a relegation battle and will need as many of their best players available as possible to give themselves the lift they need to pull themselves out of the swamp. Towsend falls into that category as he has been one of the most consistent performers in the top-flight for the club this term.

No Everton outfield player has averaged a higher SofaScore rating than the winger's score of 6.98 so far this season, with Asmir Begovic (7.10) the only player ahead of him. In 21 league starts, he has produced three goals and two assists whilst creating 1.5 chances per game for his teammates. He has also worked hard defensively as he has averaged 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game despite playing in a forward position.

Therefore, not having Townsend available will weaken the club's chances of staying in the division as he has proven himself to be one of the key players in the squad since arriving last summer, which is why fans will be fuming with this update. Lampard will also miss his creativity and work rate down the right and will now be hoping that the blow is not as serious as first feared.

AND in other news, 32 appearances, £12.5m per goal: Everton had a nightmare over shocking £71k-p/w flop...