Everton sweating training injury to key defender ahead of Newcastle visit
Yesterday at 03:29 PM
The Blues are still short two fullbacks as Branthwaite quad issue emerges
There's just always something with Everton isn't it? Just when it was looking like they were getting more players back from the physio's bench and the defence was starting to look stable again, the Blues have been hit by a major injury concern ahead of Newcastle's visit on prime time Saturday evening.
Jarrad Branthwaite appears to have suffered a quadricep injury during training earlier today. While Everton insider El Bobble calls it a 'minor' issue, manager Sean Dyche had not addressed it earlier during his pre-match press conference when he gave an injury update, including some encouraging news on the Blues' pair of right backs club captain Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson.
Youssef Chermiti and Armando Broja both remain out and will only return to training for their respective foot ailments after the upcoming October international break.
"[Chermiti and Broja] are a bit longer, Coleman is a bit longer as well but not too much longer – we're hopeful over the international break that he gets closer.
"Patto is more common sense now. He's out training all of the time but he needs a game programme after being out for around six months. That was a longer-term situation but he's making good progress and he's training regularly – and so far, so good."
Dyche went on to add detail, comparing Patterson's rehabilitation to that of Branthwaite's who only just played his first game of the season in the 2-1 win at Goodison Park last Saturday against Crystal Palace.
"Patto's was a different kind of injury - it was quite a serious injury, on a tendon, which is unusual. He needed surgery on a tendon which you have to be careful with on the recovery, so therefore he needs more time. Coming back to true fitness and game sharpness, six months is a long time to be out, so there's a games programme rather than one game.
"He hadn't done as much of the support training, so although he could play a bit quicker than Jarrad, he hadn't done as many hours on the support side - the sports science - side of things.
"All of these things have to be calculated. Still, we made a decision on Jarrad - he felt good, he felt right and Patto, we know and he knows, is still searching for that true fitness and sharpness. There's more to it than literally injury for injury - they're different kinds of injuries so they were treated differently and the recoveries were treated differently as well."
Visitors Newcastle, led by lifelong Blue Eddie Howe, also have their own injury concerns with star striker Alexander Isak, England international fullback Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett facing late fitness checks, and Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, Callum Wilson and Lewis Miley all out.
