It has been a taxing past week for Everton, but there was better news yesterday when James Vaughan, their highly rated young striker, expressed hope that he would be back from injury before the end of the season to play a part in the club’s push for Champions League qualification.

There were fears this month that Vaughan, 19, would be out for the rest of the season and possibly longer after having surgery for the second time on his troublesome left knee. But with the operation to correct a cartilage problem having been deemed a success, Vaughan is bullish about his prospects of returning for the run-in.

“I’m in very good spirits,” he said. “I know I’ve got to work really hard and that it’s a bad time for it [the injury] to happen to me, but I’m ready to just get on with it.”

Defeat by Fiorentina in a penalty shoot-out in the Uefa Cup round of 16 eight days ago was followed by a 1-0 loss away to Fulham in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday, which handed the initiative back to Liverpool in the fight for fourth place, and Everton’s prospects have been hampered this week by a growing injury list before a crucial match against West Ham United at Goodison Park on Saturday evening.

With Andrew Johnson (groin) and Victor Anichebe (hip) facing a race against time to be fit, David Moyes, the manager, could have only one recognised striker – Yakubu Ayegbeni – available for the match. Steven Pienaar has been ruled out, while serious doubts persist over the fitness of three other midfield players, Thomas Gravesen, Tim Cahill and Manuel Fernandes.

Should Everton beat West Ham, Moyes’s team would move level on points with Liverpool, who do not play until Sunday against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Officials from Everton and Tesco, the supermarket chain, have met for the first time to listen to ideas from the local community and businesses regarding the construction of a £400 million, 50,000-seat stadium and retail development in Kirkby. The next meeting is planned for next month.