Will Dominic Calvert-Lewin be fit to start the season?

Mike Hughes, BBC Radio Merseyside

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has played 45 minutes in each of Everton’s last two friendlies. He scored the winning goal in the match against Sporting Lisbon and looks like he’s regaining his sharpness.

But, while Sean Dyche didn’t rule out including him in the starting line-up against Fulham, it looks highly unlikely because of his lack of game time during pre-season.

When asked if he thought Calvert-Lewin would start against Fulham, his response was telling: “I doubt it because the game’s programme hasn’t been achieved. We have to be cautious to make sure he’s well, which he is. We have to make sure he is over everything."

From the player’s point of view, Calvert-Lewin has worked constantly throughout the summer to try and solve his fitness problems. He visited a specialist in Germany to try and help to re-build his body, in an attempt to rid him of the injuries that have had such a ruinous effect on his last two seasons.

He’s confident that he’s getting back to peak fitness, but as for Fulham at Goodison on Saturday, he may have to settle for a place on the substitute’s bench.