Five things spotted in Everton's first day of training as defender returns earlier than expected

Everton's stars returned to Finch Farm after the summer break as attention turned to the coming season.

Photos released by the club showed the players going through their paces in the gym and being put through training drills under the gaze of Frank Lampard. Among those in attendance was new signing James Tarkowski following his arrival after his contract with Burnley expired.

Behind-the-scenes, the focus will be on further strengthening the squad after last season's relegation battle - and to replace Richarlison after his departure last week. Finding another source for goals after the Brazil international's move to Tottenham Hotspur will be crucial to progress under Lampard.

With Finch Farm a hive of activity again, the ECHO took a look at the scenes from the first day of training and picked out a few key points.

Everton confirmed players who had been on international duty following the conclusion of last season would not be required to attend Finch Farm on the first day of pre-season. Despite therefore having the option of a longer rest, Mykolenko - who played four times for Ukraine after the conclusion of last season - was present on Monday. The defender was pictured in action in the gym at the state-of-the-art training complex and being welcomed by Dele Alli.

It became an open secret that James Tarkowski was heading to Merseyside - a move that was confirmed by Everton on Saturday. The 29-year-old signed a four year deal as he arrived on a free following his time at Burnley. He could be seen working with fellow centre back Ben Godfrey on the training ground.

Everton were plagued by injuries throughout last season, the absence of key players hitting Lampard's ability to plot a route to safety until the final week