Everton manager Sean Dyche has revealed that Abdoulaye Doucoure is set to miss their trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
After being ever-present across all competitions so far this season, Doucoure picked up an injury in the first half of their win over Burnley on Saturday.
With Everton 2-0 up at half time at Turf Moor, the midfielder was withdrawn despite not showing any obvious signs of a problem during the opening 45 minutes.
Thankfully for Dyche, his absence was not costly, as the Toffees held on for a routine victory against the relegation-threatened Clarets.
Following the win, Dyche confirmed that he was taken off as a precaution due to some discomfort in his hamstring, with the Everton boss not willing to take any risks given the loaded festive schedule ahead.
As a result, Doucoure missed Everton's EFL Cup penalty-shootout defeat to Fulham at Goodison Park on Tuesday, and he is also set to miss the weekend trip to North London.
When asked about Doucoure's availability, Dyche said following the defeat: "Probably not [this weekend], but going forward we're hopeful it will settle down quickly."
This will be the first time that Doucoure has suffered a brief absence since Dyche's arrival at the club, but the manager is confident in the player's ability to recover quickly from any setbacks.
"[Doucoure] is super fit and in his experience and mine, he's a good healer." Dyche added.
Any absence regardless of its severity will be a huge blow for the side, as his importance has been illustrated by the fact that Doucoure won the Everton Fans' Footballer of the Year award put forward by the Liverpool Echo this week.
The 30-year-old was instrumental in keeping Everton in the Premier League last season, scoring vital goals in games against Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, and twice at Brighton & Hove Albion, before netting the solitary strike in their final day win over Bournemouth.
Doucoure has picked up where he left off last season too, scoring six Premier League goals, making him the club's top scorer at present, flourishing in his role just behind the central lone striker. body check tags ::
