Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin out for a further FIVE WEEKS according to Rafa Benitez

Everton are set to be without Dominic Calvert-Lewin for a further five weeks, according to Rafa Benitez.

The England striker has only played three Premier League games this season due to a quadriceps injury sustained after scoring in the 2-0 win at Brighton at the end of August.

He was due to return soon but aggravated the problem during training this week and is now not set to be back in the side until the end of November.   

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to be out for another five weeks after aggravating a thigh issue

‘We will not see him for four or five weeks,’ said Everton boss Rafa Benitez on Friday

‘Dominic has a re-injury,’ Benitez told a press conference ahead of Everton’s game at home to Watford on Saturday.

‘How long he will be out, it depends on how he reacts to the treatment. We will not see him for four or five weeks, could be, and we’ll see later on what is going on.

‘It’s important to see how the player is improving and how he feels.’

Calvert-Lewin began the season in prolific form, scoring three goals in the first three games

But he has not featured since injuring his thigh after the 2-0 win at Brighton on August 28

The news could not have come at a worse time for Benitez, who discovered on Tuesday that Abdoulaye Doucoure — the club’s standout performer in this campaign — had suffered a stress fracture in his foot in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by West Ham at Goodison Park.

Midfielder Doucoure does not need surgery but there is no quick fix and that is a huge problem for Benitez, who was unable to bring in the reinforcements he wanted during the summer owing to Everton’s issues with Financial Fair Play.

Yerry Mina is also out of Saturday’s fixture at home to Everton due to a hamstring issue

Benitez also confirmed Yerry Mina will miss the game with Watford after hurting his hamstring, adding that the player’s fitness had been harmed by playing three World Cup qualifiers with Colombia in nine days and then having to comply with quarantine rules.  

‘Yerry Mina was playing three games, 90 minutes, with the national team. Coming back, he has to follow the Covid rules,’ added the Spaniard.

‘He felt a little bit his hamstring in training the other day so he will not be available. It’s what we have now with so many trips around and the rules we have to follow.’