Kevin Thelwell has declared that Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti are set to return for Everton sooner than expected. The Toffees are down to just one senior striker in Beto after a luckless run of injuries. Broja sustained an ankle injury in a 2-0 FA Cup third-round win over Peterborough United last month. The initial timeframe was that he would be unavailable for up to 12 weeks having been stretchered off.
Meanwhile, Chermiti has not played a senior game this season. He suffered a freak foot injury on the eve of the campaign, having caught the eye in pre-season. After playing a couple of games for the under-21s, the Portugal youth international then picked up a thigh problem. To compound Everton’s frustrations, Dominic Calvert-Lewin tore his hamstring in a 1-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion which has put him on the treatment table for a significant period
The Blues did want to sign a new centre-forward before the winter transfer window closed on February 3. However, there was a paucity of options available and Everton had no domestic loan spots free in their squad.
And another reason why a deal was not sanctioned was because Broja and Chermiti will be back earlier than initially scheduled. Speaking to Everton’s media department, director of football Thelwell said: “We know there is a gap in provisions at the moment. We have got three injuries to three very good strikers. We did look long and hard in the window to see if we could recruit a striker but those players are very expensive
Everton have had tight financial restrictions since Thelwell joined the club in February 2022. They have twice fallen foul of Premier League profit and sustainability rules, resulting in a combined eight-point deduction last season.
There have been significant cost-cutting measures put in place to improve the situation, with players such as Richarlison, Anthony Gordon, Alex Iwobi, Demarai Gray and Ben Godfrey being sold.
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