PA Media/DPA
London
Everton boss Sean Dyche could have only 14 fit senior players available for Saturday’s Premier League game at Tottenham.
Dyche was without several key players in last week’s 3-0 opening-day home defeat to Brighton and availability issues continue to undermine his side’s start to the season.
He said: "We’re stretched unfortunately. We’re down to about 14 recognised first-team players at the minute, so that’s not perfect, but the challenge is right in front of us as always.
"We’ve lost a few bodies in pre-season, which has been unfortunate, they’re searching for true fitness and we’ve got to get them fit and we’ve lost more who might not be available for this weekend.”
Dyche revealed stand-in captain James Tarkowski is the latest injury doubt, while fellow defender Ashley Young is suspended after his red card against Brighton.
"Jarrad Branthwaite is still a bit away,” Dyche said.
"He is not close at the moment. A few of the lads like Seamus Coleman and James Garner are getting a bit closer and have just come back into training with the group.
"James Tarkowski has got a ‘maybe’ situation, so we will have to look at that going into the next game. We obviously know the right-back situation with Ashley Young now suspended as well.”
Fellow right-back Nathan Patterson is working his way back from hamstring surgery in April and striker Youssef Chermiti is out after a minor foot operation earlier this month.
"It is an ongoing challenge,” Dyche added.
"We haven’t got much financially to correct it so we are just going to work with the players and hope they can get back to being fit and then stay fit,” Dyche said.