Everton get cruel reminder at Finch Farm as search for injury answers continues
Everton entered the international break trying to work out why so many players were picking up knocks. Instead of answers, they simply found… more injuries.
It is a frustrating twist during a frustrating start to the season. There have been positives - and there is reason to believe that progress could be on the horizon. But Everton have a small squad and if ever they could do with a period in which they can fully exploit the talent they do have, then it is now, for this run of favourable fixtures.
The loss of Tim Iroegbunam to a foot injury that looks set to rule him out for weeks is a blow, and the potential long-term loss of James Garner, whose back injury is yet to fully be assessed, only emphasises the desperate need for one of the club’s senior right-backs to find fitness and form.
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Whether either would start in Sean Dyche’s first choice side is beside the point - he continues to have the misfortune of rarely having his first choice available, hence the value of every player in this squad.
The timing will not be lost on anyone associated with the club either - just as the full back crisis appears to be healing with Vitalii Mykolenko back, Seamus Coleman in contention and Nathan Patterson continuing to make progress - the issue moves to midfield. Idrissa Gueye, Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucoure will each need to be wrapped in cotton wool between games for the foreseeable future.
The good news, therefore, came with a caveat - as it always seems to. Hopefully those days are coming to an end and the prospective new owners are able to get their takeover signed off and can begin to inject some positivity into the club even before the move to the brand new stadium.
The injury news - which at least included the boost that Iliman Ndiaye has no lasting damage to his ankle after his work with Senegal - makes expectations for the trip to Ipswich Town even harder to assess.
With Coleman and Jarrad Branthwaite in contention then Everton could end up with something resembling Dyche’s first choice starting XI at Portman Road, albeit with a few gaps on the bench. Or, if things fall the wrong way, he could be without Branthwaite and Coleman, as well as Patterson, Garner, Iroegbunam and the longer-term absentees Youssef Chermiti and Armando Broja.
The top priority of this club is to avoid the drama that has underpinned recent seasons and get to Bramley-Moore without adding to the battle scars already being worn by players, staff and supporters.
What felt like a calm international break has now ended with another cruel reminder that, for the time being at least, things will not yet be made easy for this grand club - however much it may deserve a period of calm.