Everton are closely monitoring Jarrad Branthwaite’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Brentford, but manager Sean Dyche is optimistic about the 22-year-old’s chances of being available. Branthwaite, who stood out last season and earned his England debut in June, has been plagued by injuries, limiting him to just two starts for the club since then. After undergoing groin surgery prior to the current season, he made his return in Everton’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in late September, only to be sidelined again. He has since made brief appearances off the bench in games against Fulham and Southampton, before playing a full 90 minutes in the recent goalless draw at West Ham on November 9. Branthwaite was later called up to the England senior squad but had to pull out due to injury.
Dyche provided a positive update on the centre-back, confirming that Branthwaite trained on Thursday and is expected to be fine, provided there are no setbacks overnight. In addition, Dyche gave updates on several other players recovering from injuries. Seamus Coleman has returned to outdoor training but is still working closely with the medical team. James Garner, who is recovering from a back injury, will now begin his training programme again. Tim Iroegbunam, dealing with a foot stress response, is making progress and will start light training.
On new arrival Armando Broja, Dyche revealed that the striker, who joined on loan from Chelsea, is now fully integrated into the team’s training sessions after recovering from injury. However, he will need additional match fitness before making his competitive debut. Broja has completed a full week of training and is progressing well, with a games programme expected to be introduced soon. Dyche also noted that Youssef Chermiti is recovering well from his injury setback, having completed his first full training session with the squad. Both Broja and Chermiti offer different attacking options, and Dyche is focused on getting them fully fit before they can contribute to the team.
