Dominic Calvert-Lewin is facing up to several weeks out of action through injury.
The Everton striker missed Monday’s 3-1 win over Burnley with a combination of a broken toe and quad problems sustained at the start of the new season.
Ahead of the game, Rafael Benitez confirmed that Calvert-Lewin is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks as a result of the dual issue.
But speaking post-match, the Blues manager believed that the England international’s return could be pushed back further than initially forecast.
Asked about the time frame for Calvert-Lewin’s absence, Benitez said: “It could be longer.
“He broke his toe, then was playing with an injection, with pain, it was not easy for him.
“He was not training with the rest of the team and that is the reason, I think, why he had the problem.
“For me, it will be longer than two or three weeks.”
Benitez also admitted he enjoyed Everton’s victory over the Clarets, which saw three goals in seven minutes after falling behind early in the second half.
He added: “We can see, from the first minute, in every single game the commitment is there.
“The players want to win, they want to compete, they have the desire to do well.
“We conceded the goal we conceded and we wanted to change things and react and the fans appreciated that.
“As soon as we scored, the fans were behind the players.
“Hopefully we can score goals and not concede because for sure, it will be easier for my health!
“Every manager wants to win but when you do so, in front of your fans at home, you have to enjoy it for sure.”