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

The Athletic's Patrick Boyland has given Everton fans a positive update on the injury of Andre Gomes.

What's the story?

The 26-year-old suffered a horrific injury against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. The initial tackle from Son Heung-min and then the collision with Serge Aurier caused a nasty fracture in his ankle.

Everton themselves recently reported that Gomes has been discharged from hospital, after undergoing a successful operation. Although, there can be little doubt that it will be many months until the Portugal international returns to Goodison Park.

However, Boyland delivered an encouraging update recently, as he wrote for The Athletic: "One source told The Athletic that estimates of a year-long absence for Gomes are likely to be wide of the mark, although no definitive timeframe has yet been given."

Boyland also questioned Barry Sigrist, a director at BFitter Physiotherapy and Performance Clinic, who said: “There will be hydrotherapy — plenty of pool work relatively early. We know that if you get water up to your waist, you’re at 50 per cent of your body weight.

"We’re just trying to keep neural pathways to the brain hot so it doesn’t forget them.

“Exercise will be key from relatively early, particularly in the muscles you want to preserve like the hips, thighs and abdominals — getting him to be able to move the joint under no load as soon as he can tolerate"

Encouraging signs

As Boyland alludes to, Gomes may be back earlier than the initial prognosis suggests.

But there is no doubt the injury itself can take months to recover from, then there is the gruelling fitness regime to get him back up to speed.

However, there have been many instances down the years where players have endured equally nasty injuries but came back much stronger. One of these players is Aaron Ramsey.

A tibia and fibula fracture to the Welshman forced him out for 248 days with Arsenal. Two years later, the midfielder scored 10 goals and registered eight assists in a breathtaking year for him. Ramsey would then go onto become one of Arsenal's main men and he now lives the high life in Turin with Juventus.

Here's hoping we see a similar route back for Gomes after this torrid luck.