David Unsworth admits it is 'too early' to tell if Tyler Onyango will return in time for pre-season at Everton but believes the teenage prospect will 'come back stronger'.
Onyango underwent surgery at the start of the month after sustaining a significant ankle fracture and ligament injury during the FA Youth Cup victory over Manchester City.
The 18-year-old made his senior Everton debut under Carlo Ancelotti in January and under-23 manager Unsworth revealed he had missed the box-to-box midfielder 'dearly'.
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When asked about the recovery of Onyango, Unsworth told the ECHO: "It's too early to tell.
"He's had his operation, he's fine, and everything went well.
"You just have to take it stage-by-stage, it's far too early.
"But you wouldn't want to put a time limit on it. Everybody heals at different rates, and there are certain stages you have to get through and pass.
"We're just glad the operation went well. He's fine, in good form, and we miss him dearly but he'll come back stronger."