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Everton remain confident Gerard Deulofeu will not require surgery on his season-ending knee injury.

The 22-year-old suffered a grade one tear of his medial knee ligament after a freak training ground accident with Oumar Niasse last Friday.

Deulofeu missed the win over Bournemouth at Goodison and Roberto Martinez has confirmed that he is highly unlikely to play again before the end of the season.

Everton have told the former Barcelona winger to focus on returning to full-fitness ahead of pre-season in July after he came off worse in a tackle for the ball at Finch Farm last week.

“At the moment, no,” Martinez said when asked if Deulofeu would require an operation.

(Image: 2016 Everton FC)

“But it is a tender area. Everytime he kicks the ball, he opens up that area.”

The Everton boss added: “Him and Niasse had a clash, a very accidental challenge for the ball and he opened his knee up.

“The medial ligament normally gets effected when the inside of the foot gets a lot of strain and then the knee opens up.

“It is difficult (to put a time frame on his return) but I would still be confident that probably mid-May he will be fine but the Norwich game is probably a little too early.”