When Arnaut Danjuma could return for Everton as Sean Dyche gives loan spell assessment

Sean Dyche will be hoping that his Everton troops have dusted off their scoring boots during their lengthy hiatus.

The Toffees are currently in the middle of a three-week break from action. Following a 2-0 loss at Manchester United on 9 March, they do not return to action until making the trip to Bournemouth on 30 March due to the Merseyside derby against Liverpool being postponed followed by the international break.

A trip to Portugal was organised last week, believed to be largely positive. In their European base, Everton will have undoubtedly been working on how they can arrest an 11-match winless streak that has resulted in them flirting with another Premier League relegation battle.

The main concern has been the dearth of goals Everton have scored of late. They again had chances against United but lacked a cutting edge. It's been a similar theme all season. Dominic Calvert-Lewin hasn't found the target in 22 matches, while Abdoulaye Doucoure remains top of the charts with six goals - the last of which arrived on 10 December having suffered hamstring problems.

Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison will also be using the respite to rejuvenate performances, with the lack of rotation appearing to have caught up on them. That's partly down to the absence of Arnaut Danjuma, who has been on the sidelines for the previous month.

Danjuma suffered an ankle injury during a 0-0 draw at Fulham at the end of February. Dyche wasn't too concerned about the on-loan Villarreal forward's setback at first but ankle ligament damage has meant Danjuma's been unavailable for longer than initially expected.

The Dutchman has had a mixed spell at Goodison Park so far. There have been some flashes of his potential, especially shortly after his arrival when netting against Sheffield United and Doncaster Rovers. But chances in the Premier League have been limited, especially in his favoured role on the left-hand side. McNeil has been the undisputed first choice.

However, the former Bournemouth man displayed encouraging signs shortly before his setback as he started goalless draws against Aston Villa and Fulham. Having been absent for the previous seven games, Lewis Dobbin has remained the only other wide option available to utilise.

Danjuma was left behind from the trip to Portugal to concentrate on his rehabilitation. And speaking before the United loss, Dyche was hopeful the Netherlands international could be back for the game against Burnley. The Everton boss said: "There is a chance, definitely. He's doing very well, he's working very hard. He's pleased with how it's going as well, which is always a good sign when the player feels right. So, yes, we're hopeful but we'll see.

"We spoke when we brought him in as staff, we think he can be flexible and finding the right game time, finding the habit forming what we want for the team has been a challenge for him but I think he's doing that well.

"Just before I thought he was really good down at Fulham and then he gets injured. Ironically, he was just about to come off, which is one of those things. An injury that looked quite innocuous has ended up being quite a serious injury. He's firmly fixed on getting fit. He wants to bit the fitness targets - he's made that very clear to me and he's working very hard."