Jean-Philippe Gbamin is set to miss the rest of 2020 after a fresh injury setback.
Gbamin played just two games for Everton following his summer arrival from Mainz before succumbing to a quadricep tendon problem in August.
The midfielder’s eight-month absence was prolonged by a further three months after suffering a relapse last October which pushed back his recovery period.
He had been scheduled to return to action in late January but continued to be hampered by the injury which required a second round of corrective surgery.
Gbamin set his sights on making a long-awaited return to action when the Premier League finally resumed from its coronavirus hiatus since mid-March.
But the Ivory Coast international is expected to spend the remainder of the calendar year on the sidelines after suffering an Achilles injury on Thursday.
It is understood that Gbamin did not suffer the injury in a close-contact session, which had been agreed by Premier League clubs this week as part of Project Restart.
“Jean-Philippe Gbamin is set to undergo surgery next week after suffering a serious Achilles injury in training,” confirmed an Everton statement.
“It is expected the midfielder, 24, will then require an extensive period of rehabilitation.
“The injury, sustained in a non-contact situation at USM Finch Farm, is unrelated to the quadriceps problem Gbamin had been working his way back from since August last year.
“Everyone at the club is devastated for JP and we will ensure he gets all the support he needs throughout this challenging time.”