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This article is part of Football FanCast's Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players' fitness

Marco Silva has confirmed that Andre Gomes will miss Everton's clash with Sheffield United.

What's the latest?

The midfielder was ruled out through a rib injury last week, meaning he missed the trip to Bournemouth last Sunday, and as of yet there is no date on a possible return.

His manager has stated that they are taking things "day-by-day" but with the player not taking part in full training he could be absent for a few more weeks.

It is a blow for the Toffees as they are suddenly a bit short in the middle of the pitch, with summer signing Jean-Philippe Gbamin also sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Morgan Schneiderlin stepped up against the Cherries and did reasonably well with 59 completed passes, but youngster Tom Davies may also feel that this could present an opportunity for him to shine.

Influential figure

Losing Gomes is the last thing Silva needs right now after winning only two games out of his opening five, and his absence could affect the team in the long-term.

He has kept the midfield ticking over this season with an average of 52 passes per game and due to other injuries in the squad, Everton have now started with a different midfield partnership on four occasions, which is bad for team cohesion.

With the 28-year-old missing, it prevents him from being able to build a partnership with new signing Fabian Delph, who has started every match since he returned from injury, and therefore it could be some time before Everton have a consistent midfield.

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Added to that, Delph himself can be unreliable on the injury front, and if he was to become unavailable then there would be considerable pressure on Schneiderlin and Davies to perform.

The first test for one of those players will come tomorrow, and Sheffield United's middle three won't make life easy for them, particularly Luke Freeman who will attempt to hassle them effectively throughout, as his return of two interceptions per game suggests.