Everton manager Sean Dyche has admitted that Dele Alli is still "miles away" from a place in the first team squad as the midfielder works his way back from injury.

Alli has been out of action since April, when he underwent hip surgery. He had been on loan at Turkish side Besiktas at the time, but his season was cut short by the injury.

Dyche said that Alli is "feeling good" but that he is still not fully fit. "He is well in himself but he is not over his injury," Dyche said. "We are miles away from that [thinking about a squad role], he is just getting himself right again."

Alli has been pictured training with Everton this week, and Dyche said that the club is working with him to make sure he is fully fit as soon as possible. "He is feeling good and now we will be working with him, on top of that, to make sure the injury is right," Dyche said. "But it is still going to be a bit of time yet."

Alli's future at Everton is complicated by a clause in his contract that would see the club pay Tottenham £10 million if he plays 20 games for them. Alli only needs to feature seven more times to trigger the clause.

Dyche has backed Alli to revive his career, and the midfielder has publicly thanked the Toffees boss for his support. "I want to thank the manager for giving me the opportunity to come here and try to get my career back on track," Alli said.

Everton will begin their Premier League campaign next Saturday by hosting Fulham. Alli will be hoping to be fit enough to play a part in the season, but Dyche has made it clear that he is not in a rush to bring him back. "We will just take it one step at a time," Dyche said. "We want to make sure he is right and that he is ready to play."

In the meantime, Alli will continue to work hard on his recovery and hope to make a positive impact on Everton's season when he is fit.