Everton remain firmly in contention to spend next season in the Championship after another defeat was chalked up last weekend, however, Sean Dyche may finally be given a golden opportunity to unleash a much-needed player over the remainder of the Premier League season.

What's the latest on Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury?

The Everton boss gave a glimmer of hope to supporters following the 3-1 defeat to Fulham at Goodison Park, claiming that popular striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin could return to action as soon as this weekend:

"Dom's going well which is a positive. He'll be back hopefully in the thinking this week as long as the week goes well.

"He's had a very good week this week and we want him to have another very good week next week and then we'll see how he's feeling."

Could Calvert-Lewin start vs Crystal Palace?

There is no doubt that a return for the rarely-seen striker would be warmly welcomed by the supporters as his keen eye for goal would be a valuable asset in the final weeks of the season remaining.

The Toffees are teetering on the edge of the relegation zone in 17th at present with only seven games remaining to avoid their first-ever Premier League relegation since the league began in 1992, putting incredible pressure on Dyche to find quick solutions to improve their performances and form.

The Goodison Park faithful are all too familiar with the worrying feeling that sets in at this stage of the season as relegation scraps have become their harsh reality over the last two campaigns, however, Calvert-Lewin's presence is undeniable on the pitch and his delivery of important moments could be the key to survival.

Ironically, it was the £100k-per-week titan's winning goal against Crystal Palace that became Everton's defining moment to save them from the drop last season and if he is fit to start at Selhurst Park this weekend, there will be hope that he can deliver against the Eagles again to put them in a more favourable position.

Indeed, Calvert-Lewin – who was hailed for his "cold" finishing by former manager Carlo Ancelotti – has struggled with numerous injury issues over the last 18 months, which has not only led to the player becoming an unreliable and inconsistent feature in the squad, but has also negatively affected the attacking threat.

Nobody in the top flight has scored fewer goals (24) than the Toffees this season so far, which has played a huge part in their struggles, so the experienced striker's return to action could not come at a more desperate time.

With that being said, Calvert-Lewin's presence on the pitch could be the catalyst in Everton's revival over the remaining league fixtures and if the striker can rediscover his form of old, he may well be the man of the moment yet again.