Credit: Leeds United FC/Imago

Chris Smith

Fri 15 August 2025 16:10, UK

Leeds United have officially completed the signing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the striker’s injury record does carry an element of risk.

Calvert-Lewin was a free agent following the expiry of his Everton contract and, following links to Newcastle, Sunderland and Manchester United, arrived at Elland Road on Friday (15 August).

Leeds boss Daniel Farke is confident he can help Calvert-Lewin rediscover the sort of form that saw him bag 21 goals across all competitions under Carlo Ancelotti in 2020/21.

But it will require plenty of monitoring of the 28-year-old’s fitness, given the horrendous injury record he endured at Goodison Park.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury record

Calvert-Lewin arrived at Everton as a youngster from Sheffield United in the summer of 2016, with a clean bill of health up to that point.

Things went smoothly for the striker during his first five years at the club, with an eight-game absence with an ankle injury during his debut campaign and 14 games out for club and country with a back issue in 2017/18 the only blemishes on his record (Transfermarkt).

It was during the 2020/21 campaign that hamstring and muscle injuries first became a problem.

While these particular issues would only keep Calvert-Lewin out for five games that season, it was a foreshadowing, with long absences to come right across the following campaigns.

Calvert-Lewin has also suffered from extensive toe and knee problems while on Merseyside.

All in all, the striker — capped 11 times by England, scoring four goals along the way — has missed 111 games for club and country across his career with 16 different complaints.

Calvert-Lewin to thrive at Leeds

Football Insider verdict

Calvert-Lewin’s time at Everton likely would have been viewed as a much bigger success were it not for the wretched luck he endured with fitness.

That said, he fared much better with his body during his final two years with the Toffees, playing 58 Premier League games and 64 matches overall during that time.

Calvert-Lewin only managed 11 goals and five assists during that time, so now, the job for Farke is rebuilding his new striker’s confidence.

But Calvert-Lewin is a headstrong individual, and the love of the Elland Road crowd will go a long way toward reigniting the fire.

A couple of early goals will set him back on the right path for Leeds, who will hope he can deliver the firepower to help them avoid an immediate drop back to the Championship.