Everton are yet to firm up their interest in Ben Brereton as his future goes into the final week of the window.

The Premier League club are still to make a bid for the 23-year-old with no suggestion that a deal is close.

There is a sense at Everton that Frank Lampard would prefer to secure a more Premier League proven option to lead the Toffees attack following an injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and also the sale of Richarlison to Tottenham.

Interest from Chelsea in Anthony Gordon could further increase Everton’s need for reinforcements, with Brereton having emerged as an option last week.

Rovers haven’t received an official approach, or bid from Everton as yet, though that situation could yet change heading into the final week of the window.

Brereton came off the bench in the Carabao Cup win over Bradford City and captained the side late on in the 2-1 victory, with head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson stating: “That shows the boy is focused.”

Sources at the club and close to the player strongly refuted suggestions earlier in the week that Brereton had pushed to leave the club and remained focus amid the ongoing speculation surrounding his future.

That is only set to ramp-up in the final week of the window, with the deadline coming at 11pm on September 1.

Brereton is expected to train as normal leading into the weekend visit of his hometown club, Stoke City.

OGC Nice remain the only club to have made a formal offer for Brereton, their £8.4m rejected. Nice are expected to return with an offer, but haven’t as yet, while there is a feeling that West Ham United could yet make a move for the attacker who will command a fee north of £15m to prise him away from Ewood Park.

Rovers have now gone three weeks without adding a new face to the squad and their defensive injury crisis saw them forced to field Liverpool loanee Tyler Morton in central midfield against Bradford.

The club are willing to hold out for Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg in the same way they did for Jan Paul van Hecke last summer.

The complexity over the van den Berg deal comes in that he has been on the bench for Liverpool’s opening two matches, with their injury situation putting a hold on a move to Ewood Park.

Rovers are hopeful that deal will fall into place, but they face a race against time for that to happen before the visit of the Potters on Saturday.

Hayden Carter could come back into the fold for that game after four weeks out with a hamstring issue, but it will come too soon for Scott Wharton who is set to miss a third successive Championship fixture.

Rovers were able to hand a rest to Daniel Ayala on Tuesday night, as Louie Annesley was handed his debut alongside Morton, before Phillips was used off the bench in the second half.

TAKE OUT A SUBSCRIPTION...

GAIN UNLIMITED AND UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE LANCASHIRE TELEGRAPH WEBSITE WITH A PREMIUM DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION