Duncan Ferguson says he always retained faith in “top player” Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s ability to flourish as Everton’s centre-forward.

Calvert-Lewin crowned a fabulous individual display with two goals in Ferguson’s first match in caretaker charge against Chelsea last week and is poised to start his fourth straight Premier League match at Manchester United on Sunday.

The 22-year-old reserved praise for Ferguson after downing Chelsea, explaining how he’s profited from the training ground coaching of one of his predecessors in Everton’s number nine shirt.

Calvert-Lewin’s double in the Blues’ 3-1 win moved him to seven goals from 11 starts in all competitions this season.

He played beside Richarlison in attack and also featured in the passage of play which opened up Chelsea for the Brazilian to score Everton’s opener.

 “I have always liked Dom and thought he was a very, very good player,” Ferguson told evertontv.

“Because of Saturday [against Chelsea] everyone is noticing it more.

“I have worked with Dom for a very long time and we’ve concentrated on all aspects of his game.

“We worked on his hold up play, his running in behind and his heading and finishing in the box.

“Dom is a top player and I was delighted for him at the weekend.

“I knew he could fill that shirt, he is doing it at the minute and I am sure he will do it again on Sunday.”

Calvert-Lewin is likely to come up against the robust defensive pairing of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof on Sunday, eight days after his physicality noticeably discomfited the Chelsea centre-back duo of Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen.

Ferguson expects the former Sheffield United player to relish the challenge of trying to help Everton erase their six-year Old Trafford winless streak.

And Everton’s caretaker manager, who scored 72 goals across 10 years and two spells with the Club, is certain Calvert-Lewin boasts the attributes to grow into a first-rate centre-forward.

“As you get older, you get better,” continued Ferguson.

“I am sure he will acquire more game intelligence, you have more games, so you get cleverer, don’t you?

“He will fill out and get stronger.

“He is maturing into a top player.”

Ferguson is missing a number of players this weekend.

Theo Walcott and Morgan Schneiderlin join long-term absentees Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin on the sidelines.

Yerry Mina, Seamus Coleman and Fabian Delph returned to training in the second half of this week.

Lucas Digne, meanwhile, is in with a shout of playing after sustaining a groin problem against Chelsea.

Ferguson is “hopeful” over the Frenchman’s availability.

Should the game come too soon for Digne, however, Everton have a stellar deputy in Leighton Baines, who replaced his fellow left-back with eight minutes remaining last Saturday.

That outing was 35-year-old Baines’s first since he began a game against Wolverhampton Wanderers back on 2 February.

“He came on and was fantastic,” added Ferguson.

“I had no doubt he would be, that is what top players do, they can be out for months and come in and do the job.

“He made a great tackle in the box and has that experience.

“It is great to have him here, he can pass on all that experience to the other players.

“I am encouraging that.

“These guys have to talk to each other and help each other and that is what they’re doing.”