Everton full back Seamus Coleman will return to the squad for Wednesday’s Premier League game against Leicester City after recovering from a broken leg, manager Sam Allardyce said on Monday.
Coleman played 58 minutes for the Under-23s side last week, his first match since suffering a double leg break while representing Ireland in March last year.
“Seamus is in the squad for Wednesday and it seems, hopefully, that from here on in, he can have an injury-free run until the end of the season,” Allardyce told a news conference.
“He is a very important player. But, if and when he does play in the team, he needs time. He has been out an awful long time.
“It was such a long period of time out that he cannot be expected to hit his top form immediately. But it is very important to have him back, and to have his influence not just as a player but as a person and a human being.”
Allardyce said left back Luke Garbutt will also return to the squad after he was frozen out by former manager Ronald Koeman.
Leighton Baines is still struggling with a calf injury and Allardyce is keen to give the 24-year-old a chance in the first-team.
“We’ve put him (Garbutt) in the squad, he’s been out of it since the start of the season so we’ve put him in there to have a look at him and time will tell on how we think he progresses,” the manager added.
Everton, ninth in the league table, are without a win in their last six matches.