Gbamin: Everton issue fitness update on injury-stricken signing

Everton manager Marco Silva is impressed with Jean-Philippe Gbamin’s recovery from injury.

The midfielder has only played two games for the Toffees since his summer transfer from Bundesliga side Mainz after sustaining a thigh muscle strain.

The Ivory Coast international picked up the injury in their 1-0 victory against Watford at Goodison Park on August 17.

On Thursday, the 24-year-old returned to a light training ahead of the Toffees’ clash against Burnley on Saturday.

"We saw him for the first time this morning on the pitch doing individual work with Bruno [Mendes, Head of Performance]. Let's see over the next few days how he'll react,” Silva said in a pre-match conference.

"It's step by step to see but it was a good sign for us to see him on the pitch with his teammates and starting to run. Even if it was individual work, it's still a good step."

Gbamin was a consistent performer for Mainz in the 2018-19 season, making 31 league appearances before his departure.

The midfielder will hope to shake off his present injury problems in order to play a prominent role in Silva’s squad this term.