Everton boss Sean Dyche on the fixture congestion and fitness issues at the club and some players being involved with the Under 21 game as they return from injury
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
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00:00I think we've been talking about this for a long time, this busy period of games in December, seven matches to play.
00:05I just wonder whether this is a benefit for you, really, because no international breaks, no cup competitions.
00:10Time for you to work and focus and train more with the team.
00:14Is that good?
00:15Well, I think certainly with the international breaks, yeah, you know, people often say about us working with the team, but a lot of them are not here.
00:21So, yeah, we do get that period.
00:22But obviously with the amount of games on the other hand, you only get so many days to work in between the games.
00:27And some of that period has to be rest phases, you know, especially when we've got people coming back from injury and the like.
00:32So we've been stretched this year.
00:33So this period will probably stretch us in terms of the player usage and the energy of the players.
00:38But that's the same for everyone.
00:40Talking of players coming back from injury, how are you now in terms of a fully fit squad?
00:44Are you nearly there?
00:45Well, we're getting there.
00:46AB will get some minutes again today, as will Yousef on his journey back to full fitness.
00:52There's a game here today, sorry.
00:54So, yeah, they'll get some time in that, which is good.
00:56AB's in front of Yousef.
00:58Yousef is only just his start point, really.
01:01But AB's looking really fit, so that's good.
01:03Seamus, at least, is getting back on the grass with us.
01:05So probably won't be enough for this weekend.
01:08But he's showing signs of getting truly fit, if you like, after an up and down time with niggly injuries.
01:15So, yeah, and other players are just getting back to full fitness, if you like, full Premier League fitness.
01:19So it's coming.
01:20So we don't want to say too much, because every time I do, we lose players again.
01:23But hopefully they'll stay fit and keep getting fitter.
01:26So when you say Armando Brogia, is he anywhere near the squad for the weekend?
01:31Yeah, well, we'll see how he goes today.
01:33We're certainly going to monitor his minutes today.
01:35But he's done a real lot of background work and feeling good.
01:39I've spoke to him about possibly being involved.
01:41So we'll see.
01:42James Garner, Tim Irugwenu?
01:43Yeah, they're a little bit behind.
01:45Jimmy, particularly, he's not there yet, as in on the grass.
01:48Tim's just about in the early phases of coming back.
01:52But it's going to be a while.
01:53It's a strange sort of injury, so we've got to be a bit careful with it.