Everton have suffered a number of huge injury concerns to key players over the last 18 months which left them not only with the worst injury record in the Premier League last season but has also contributed to their struggle for consistency in their performances.

Indeed, the Toffees signed eight new players in the summer to bolster their squad depth following constant fitness concerns to key players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina, however, it hasn't stopped the team from continuing to be weakened over the campaign so far.

One of the biggest causes of concern for Frank Lampard as he prepares for Everton's return to action in the Premier League after Christmas is James Garner's back injury which left him unable to join the squad during their Australian tour over the World Cup break last month.

Premier League injury expert Ben Dinnery made a concerning claim last week when he revealed that the young midfielder could now be out of action until at least February.

"The initial sort of prognosis was relatively okay, but subsequent evaluations and testaments reveal that it’s probably going to be towards maybe the end of January or even early February before Garner is back in contention."

Tom Davies has also suffered an injury whilst in Australia with the squad meaning that Lampard's depth in the centre of the pitch has been severely compromised ahead of the second half of the season and will require some immediate thought on how to address the situation.

One way that Lampard could bolster his midfield presence is by promoting Everton academy talent Isaac Price, who was given the golden opportunity to join the senior Blues on their trip to Australia.

The 19-year-old midfielder has already clearly impressed the 44-year-old manager and could now be the saviour in his midfield dilemma whilst Garner and Davies recover on the sidelines.

Price has been part of the Everton youth academy since he was seven years old and has risen through the ranks to become a key player in the U21s team, making 71 appearances over his career so far and this season he has been a stand-out performer in the Football League Trophy.

Over three appearances, the talented youngster has scored one goal and completed 80% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.7 key passes, two interceptions, two tackles, three clearances 7.3 touches and four duels won per game, proving that he has been a huge presence in midfield for his team.

Lampard gave an assessment on Price's impact dubbing the midfielder's capabilities "natural" during the friendlies in Australia:

"His energy is amazing, wins a lot of second balls & is calm when he gets there. Finds passes & pockets which is natural knack. He puts himself in the frame now."

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Price and his rise to the senior team could be fast-tracked if Lampard gives him the opportunity to shine in Garner and Davies' absence when the Toffees return to action later this month.