LIVERPOOL (Reuters) – Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is close to returning for shot-shy Everton but manager Frank Lampard was guarded about whether he would play a part against Manchester City on Saturday.
Calvert-Lewin has made only six Premier League appearances all season and missed Monday’s defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton’s fourth successive league loss.
Everton have scored a mere 12 goals in their 16 Premier League games and Lampard knows that unless his side start scoring the pressure will continue to mount.
Confirming that Calvert-Lewin is part of the squad for a daunting trip to City, Lampard told reporters that his availability would help boost his side’s firepower.
“Having Dominic back in the fold is a great thing for us because players who can make a difference at the top end of the pitch mean points,” Lampard, whose side are one place and one point above the relegation zone, told reporters.
With the transfer window about to open, Lampard said the search was on for strikers.
“We need to get Dominic fit and look who else we can bring in to help score goals and encourage competition,” he said.
“We will look to see what we can do in the window, to start games and to change games from the bench.
“We are looking at lots of players.”
A trip to City is hardly an ideal way to end the year, especially with striker Erling Haaland, a player Lampard tried to sign while in charge of Chelsea, looking unstoppable.
Haaland took his league tally to 20 with a brace against Leeds United this week and Lampard knows stopping the Norwegian will be vital.
“It’s a difficult task because of his quality and his power, we are all seeing it,” Lampard said. “You have to try and not give him the spaces that he wants, it’s as simple as that, but of course a player of that talent can hurt you at any moment.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
