Sean Dyche has provided a significant injury update on his Everton squad ahead of their crucial Premier League clash with Leicester City this weekend.
Everton has endured a tough start to the season, losing every game so far in the top flight and being knocked out of the EFL Cup on penalties in midweek.
In their last three matches, they have repeatedly given away leads.
The midweek team featured many youngsters due to a sickness bug affecting the squad, but Dyche has indicated that some of these players might return for Saturday’s match at the King Power Stadium.
Dyche Provides Branthwaite Update
In his pre-match press conference, Dyche confirmed that the squad will still be missing star defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who is recovering from summer surgery.
However, he anticipates that James Tarkowski, Vitalii Mykolenko, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be available after recovering from illness.
“Jarrad [Branthwaite] is making progress, and we’re hopeful he’ll get some game time with the Under-21s this weekend,” Dyche said.
“James Tarkowski trained today, so we’ll see if there’s no reaction. Nathan Patterson is in a similar position to Jarrad.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems to be okay today; he was back on the grass, so hopefully, his illness is behind him.”
“Jimmy Garner is still out with illness. Idrissa has unfortunately experienced a family bereavement, so he won’t be available.
Mykolenko, who was ill, was back in today, so we’re optimistic that he’s past it.
Seamus [Coleman] remains injured and his recovery will take longer than we initially hoped; we don’t yet know the exact timescale.
Youssef Chermiti and Armando Broja are both making progress with their long-term injuries, and Keano is undergoing a precautionary scan today to ensure he’s okay.”
Everton is desperate to secure points after recent encouraging performances that still ended in defeat.
They squandered a 2-0 lead against Bournemouth, losing 3-2, and similarly collapsed under pressure from Aston Villa, throwing away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 again.
Leicester City has also had a challenging start to the season but has managed draws against Tottenham and Crystal Palace, keeping them out of the relegation zone as they head into this fixture.
Everton’s Support for Sean Dyche
Despite the disappointing start to the season, Sean Dyche is reportedly secure in his managerial position.
Dyche is in the final year of his contract, and there has been speculation about the board’s interest in former manager David Moyes, who is now a free agent after his departure from West Ham United in the summer.
Nevertheless, Everton’s board is currently backing Dyche, and there is no immediate pressure on him to win upcoming games to retain his job.
Chris Sutton suggests that the fans might be growing impatient with Dyche, and a victory over Leicester would certainly help to regain some support.
With Moyes potentially lurking as a replacement, securing a win as soon as possible is crucial for Dyche.
The match against Leicester represents an ideal opportunity for him to secure a much-needed victory.
