‘Touch and go’ - £33m Everton star doubt for Newcastle United match after calf injury blow

Sean Dyche has revealed that midfielder Amadou Onana is ‘touch and go’ to face Newcastle United on Thursday night. The midfielder, who joined the Toffees from Lille in a £33m deal last summer, has missed their last two outings and could be forced to sit on the sidelines when Eddie Howe’s side come to Merseyside on Thursday night.

Onana missed both the defeat to Manchester United and their win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend with a calf-injury. Speaking about the midfielder, Dyche said: “Amadou's back on the grass, touch and go with our decision around him.”

Onana isn’t Dyche’s only injury concern heading into Thursday’s game, however, with the fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin also coming into question after he missed their game at the City Ground on Saturday. However, the former Clarets boss is hopeful of having Calvert-Lewin, who has scored five goals against Newcastle United in 12 appearances against the Magpies, to pick from.

“Dom's showing good signs of being right,” Dyche said. “So he'll come back into the thinking.”

Dyche also provided an update on Andre Gomes’ fitness with the former Barcelona man yet to feature for the Toffees this season. He said: “Andre's had a very frustrating season so far but he got a run out. There's a bit more from him to be fully fit.”

Newcastle travel to Goodison Park having tasted victory just once on their travels in the Premier League so far this campaign. Their hosts, meanwhile, have won just once in-front of their own fans in the league and will begin the game in the relegation zone.