Everton's Marco Silva encourages Richarlison to fight to stay on his feet as Andre Gomes begins rehabilitation

Everton manager Marco Silva has told striker Richarlison he must stop going to ground too early.

The Brazilian has been criticised - even by his own fans - for falling too readily following challenges inside and outside the penalty area, and that has prompted his coach to have a word with the 22-year-old.

“We are working with him because the Premier League is really tough and the message and the feedback to him is to always don’t fall down,” Silva told Everton TV.

“Even if it looks in many, many moments that it is not fair on him with the decisions, what I am saying to him and our staff as well is for him to keep standing as much as he can and in the right moments the referee will be fair with him, because we feel that it is a little bit not so fair.

“Keep standing and be strong because the contact in the Premier League is really strong as well. And, for sure, look after the football and the decisions will be fair with you.”

Silva, whose side travel to Southampton this weekend, has backed Andre Gomes to overcome the adversity of serious injury following his release from hospital.

Gomes faces a long rehabilitation period after the ankle fracture dislocation suffered against Tottenham Hotspur.

“The surgery went really well and all the feedback we’ve had until now was really good,” said Silva.

“We have to be patient. We have to go step by step. Andre, apart from his qualities as a football player, will become stronger. I don’t have doubts about that.”

The Everton manager says he expects the club to rally itself to emerge through a testing period, Gomes' long absence the most serious of recent injury setbacks.

“Of course, it was really tough in our dressing room,” he said.

“To see how his teammates were, some of them were really in a bad moment as well. But we know this is football. It was important for all of us to see Andre and we saw him [on Tuesday] at Finch Farm.

“These types of situations have to give us the strength and togetherness. Many things have happened to us but, for sure, we will answer in the right way.”