BadboyMustySean Dyche calls up ‘excellent’ teenage midfielder to train with the first team squad
The Toffees do welcome back one of their former managers this weekend in Marco Silva whose side are arriving on the back of two-straight defeats.
Silva has already spoken of his emotions ahead of one final trip to Goodison Park ahead of Everton‘s move next summer.
But Everton will be focused on the task at hand with Dyche sharing a positive injury update on defender Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of the game.
And it seems as if Everton have welcomed a number of their youth players into first team training this week ahead of the clash.
The Toffees have had the full week to turn things around following their trip to Suffolk where they took three points from Ipswich Town.
It has not all been positive news on the injury front for Everton with James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam set to miss the game on Saturday.
But this has seen some of Everton’s promising youngsters make the step up this week and join up in the first team training session.
On Thursday, the club released some photos from Finch Farm training with some interesting takeaways ahead of the Fulham game.
Left-winger Isaac Heath was spotted dribbling with the ball in one of the photos but Callum Bates could also be seen.
Bates’ inclusion in first team training comes at a time when Dyche may find his options in the middle slightly short with the injuries the club are carrying.
Who is Callum Bates?
The 19-year-old midfielder has become a regular in the Everton U21s side having already racked up five appearances in the Premier League 2 this term.
Bates has only recently made the leap up to U21s football having played 48 times for Everton’s U18s set up.
Everton’s U21s manager Paul Tait has already waxed lyrical about Bates with huge praise coming early last year when the midfielder was only 17-years-old.
“The two young lads in the centre of the midfield, Matty (Apter) and Callum (Bates), were excellent and I am looking forward to giving them more opportunities,” Tait told the Liverpool Echo.
“They showed real tactical nous and they were quality in the passing.”
Although he may not be ready to start in the Premier League just yet, Bates could well be in line to make up the numbers in the matchday squad given Dyche’s injury woes.
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