Everton have experienced a topsy-turvy start to the new campaign with Rafa Benitez’s Toffees side taking four points from their opening two Premier League clashes.
The Merseyside outfit have looked difficult to contend with in the final third but for all of the chances they’ve created, they haven’t been too clinical.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored in successive games, however, which should provide Benitez with a reason to smile.
That said, the depth within their squad at the moment will be a cause for concern, especially after a window where Everton have spent just £1.7m on four new signings.
That hasn’t been made any easier by a bout of self-isolation in recent weeks and now a fresh injury blow is likely to annoy the new manager further.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday lunchtime, the Spaniard admitted that Fabian Delph would miss the game.
He said: “Delph has a problem with his shoulder."
Although this won’t impact the starting XI on Saturday afternoon when they face Brighton, it will frustrate Benitez.
That’s because Delph is growing increasingly injury-prone with this latest setback the eighth time he’ll spend time on the sidelines after moving to Goodison.
After swapping Manchester for Merseyside in 2018, he has been absent from a total of 39 matches. He has also missed 285 days through injury and fitness issues.
The fact he’ll now have to sit out another portion of games is hardly ideal. The additional fact that Delph signed for £9m means his move has not been a success by any means.
The former England international has played on just 31 occasions for the club, starting only 15 times in the top-flight.
With that in mind, it’s just as well Jean-Philippe Gbamin is back in contention after his own injury hell.