Everton injury at Ipswich at the latest with questions about seven players after the scare surrounding Iliman Ndiaye

And although Ipswich are yet to win, they are just a point behind Everton, having shown enough resilience to secure four draws in their first seven games, including games against Manchester City and Liverpool.

With that in mind, Dyche could do with having a strong squad to choose from – something that has been out of reach so far this season. The first few weeks of the summer have seen so many small but problematic blows complicate the Blues’ search for answers – Dyche admitted possible factors such as the approach to pre-season after the draw against Newcastle United, in which Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarrad Branthwaite was checked, Vitalii Mykolenko dropped out of the running in the days before the game.

The Everton boss said: “We looked at different things. We looked at the training plans, we looked at the pre-season, the players who came back late and at different points in the pre-season because they needed a break from the different competitions.

“You try to look at it all and it’s difficult because we have a thin squad for financial reasons [of the club].”

In this respect, this international break is both a blessing and a curse. It is a useful opportunity for players struggling with setbacks or at the end of their recovery to unwind from the pressure of match preparations. However, it has disrupted the dynamic, with Everton remaining unbeaten three times in the first two weeks, while at the same time a host of players outside the remit of Finch Farm’s team, traveling with peril around the world to represent their nations, come in take action.

This threat became clear on Friday when Iliman Ndiaye was sent off midway through the second half of Senegal’s 4-0 win over Malawi. The attacker, one of Everton’s standout players of the season so far, was withdrawn after receiving treatment on the pitch and any concerns about his fitness would spark frustration on Merseyside.

Footage from the end of the game showed the summer signing on the pitch laughing with his teammates, raising hopes that his substitution was a precautionary measure. Much attention will be paid to team news from Malawi on Tuesday afternoon as Senegal face the same opponents as Ndiaye and his teammate Idrissa Gueye continues her efforts to help her country qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.

It will likely be Thursday before fitness staff can assess Ndiaye, but there will have been no shortage of patients before he and Gueye return to the Halewood base. Your biggest concern is Branthwaitewho made his comeback in Everton’s win over Crystal Palace after months out following groin surgery, but then suffered quadriceps problems a few days later.

Michael Keane earned praise for his performance in the England starlet’s place and has been repeatedly praised by Dyche this season, but could be challenged should Branthwaite be able to return.

How MykolenkoDyche, who was unable to play against Newcastle due to a calf problem and was therefore not included in the Ukraine squad, expressed hope that Branthwaite would only be out for a limited time.

He said after the Newcastle game: “We’re hoping he’ll be back for the next game, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

The return of both would allow Dyche to move closer to the back four that proved so solid last season. However, there is still a lot of work to be done on this front. James Tarkowski has still not missed a Premier League game since arriving at Everton two years ago, but his summer has been marred by minor problems – first a buttock problem that affected him in pre-season, and then a back complaint that led to that he was left out of the Carabao Cup defeat against Southampton.

Tarkowski’s training program was limited at times due to these problems, of which he said before Newcastle: “I didn’t play in absolute agony, it just affected my fitness a little bit and I couldn’t train all the time.” which doesn’t help on a weekend.

“It’s not ideal but some players have probably done it for several years throughout their careers because they have to deal with injuries. I’ve never experienced this before and it’s the first time I’ve had to do it.”

The 31-year-old trained with his teammates during the break and hopes that this break will be a good time for him to get back up to speed.

The right side of defense has been a problem all season, but Everton could be expecting some positive news in that regard. Nathan Patterson has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the 6-0 win against Chelsea in April. He had to undergo surgery on it, but is now about to return.

Patterson has played the last three games for the U21s, including two in five days before the break, and has since taken part in training sessions with the first team.

At Ipswich, the Blues could therefore have a senior right-back to challenge Ashley Young and James Garner, just two in a long list of players who have been deployed in the position this season. Seamus Colemanwho played this season but currently has a calf problem, is also working on a speedy return.

Everton’s problems in front of defense have eased in recent weeks with the two outstanding injuries being long-term injuries. Youssef Chermiti had an excellent pre-season when a serious foot injury limited his progress and he remains absent Armando Brojathe striker joined Chelsea on loan on deadline day.

The Blues won’t have to pay for Broja’s contract until he plays for the club and that day gets closer. However, he is expected to need some time to get up to speed and therefore may aim for a comeback to first-team football around the November international break.