Sean Dyche does not expect Seamus Coleman to return for Everton this season after suffering knee ligament damage in Monday's 1-1 draw at Leicester.
Coleman posted on social media to say he had avoided damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, indicating the injury is not as bad as first feared.
But Dyche said it was likely to keep him out of the remaining four fixtures all the same.
"It’s still a ligament injury that needs sorting," Dyche said. "Obviously everyone feared it was ACL, it is not so that’s good for him."
Asked if he would return this term, Dyche added: "I doubt it."
On the field, Monday's draw left the Toffees still 19th in the table, albeit only one point behind the three teams above them.
On another night they might have comfortably won at the King Power Stadium having taken 23 shots at goal, but they were equally indebted to Jordan Pickford saving James Maddison’s penalty late in the first half to avoid going 3-1 down.
Dyche said the performance gave his side confidence and reason to believe in what they were doing, saying "it reaffirms to them that we are on the right track".
But with a trip to Europe-chasing Brighton on Monday to be followed by the visit of reigning champions and title favourites Manchester City, Everton cannot afford to play so openly.
"There’s a risk and reward," Dyche said. "Defending correctly, attacking correctly, you have to find a balance somewhere. Some games just pan out like that.
"Palace (a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on 22 April) was the complete opposite, that was a slow, methodical game.
"Maybe the intensity of it, the feel of it, the fact it was a big game, sometimes that can bring an openness to a game and sometimes it stays tight but you can’t define a game until it starts and you see it in front of your eyes.
"You want to control performances but Leicester wanted to win the game and we wanted to win the game. You have to balance it, I think we did that but we didn’t get the result we were looking for."
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