Will Dele Alli ever return for Everton? Toffees boss Sean Dyche shares bleak update after ex-England star’s latest injury setback

Dyche has claimed the former England international "still has a way to go" before he can return to first-team duties with Everton, after he suffered a fresh injury setback on his way back to playing in the top flight of English football.

"We'll see," Dyche told Sky Sports. "He has a long way to go. We've deliberately kept him back from it and we agreed that with him - just to give him time, to give him space. Hopefully he will be back, we don't know. We have given him the privacy he needs during this time. He's in a good state, I spoke to him recently. Making sense of another injury is difficult but he will come through that."

Dele, 27, underwent surgery in January to solve an ongoing groin injury. The former Tottenham Hotspur star has not played a competitive game since the start of last year with Turkish side Besiktas - where he suffered a hip injury which eventually led to his current setback throughout his first rehabilitation phase.

Dele will continue to watch from the sidelines as he looks to cheer his Everton teammates on in their battle for Premier League survival. The Toffees currently sit in 18th place in the table and face Crystal Palace at Goodison Park in their next fixture on Monday.