Jean-Philippe Gbamin out for another three months

Everton midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin is expected to miss another three months of football after undergoing surgery on a tendon injury in his right quadriceps muscle.

Gbamin, 23, has only featured in the Blues’ opening two matches of the season, before sustaining a thigh injury in training in late August.

The £25 million summer signing from Mainz 04 was on track to return to first team football soon, and resumed light training at the beginning of October, but has suffered a setback in his recovery and will now not feature for Everton until 2020.

As a result of this latest injury, Gbamin underwent surgery in France on Tuesday, and will now continue his rehabilitation with the club’s medical staff.

Gbamin was seen as Everton’s direct replacement for Idrissa Gueye, who joined Paris Saint-Germain for about £30 million in July, and the Blues have lost five of the six league games he has missed due to injury.

With Everton languishing in the relegation zone having suffered defeat in four consecutive league matches, the onus now falls on midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin, Tom Davies, Fabian Delph, André Gomes and Gylfi Sigurdsson to raise their games in Gbamin’s absence.