Sean Dyche update on Jarrad Branthwaite and Dele Alli plus strong response on Everton takeover

Everton manager Sean Dyche has offered a fitness update on Jarrad Branthwaite and several other members of his squad ahead of Saturday evening’s game with Fulham but reveals he’s still waiting to speak to the club’s prospective new owners. Branthwaite was Everton’s breakthrough star of last season, winning his first England cap in June, but following two summer offers from Manchester United being rejected, the Blues’ most valuable asset has only played once this term.

Having recovered from injury, the 22-year-old made a triumphant return to help Everton complete a 2-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace on September 28, but he was then ruled out of their fixtures against Newcastle United and Ipswich Town.

Dyche said: “He’s trained all week. I made a call on it last week, I decided not to go with him being fit, even for the squad, because I thought it was important for him to have a week’s training, a clear week’s training, which he has done, so he’ll certainly be part of the squad.

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“We have four very good centre-backs, all fighting for the shirt. That will look after itself.”

Dyche confirmed that Jesper Lindstrom, who missed the 2-0 win at Ipswich Town last Saturday – Everton’s first away success in 10 months – through illness, has come back into contention while speaking about the fitness of other players.

He said: “Jimmy Garner, we’re waiting on more news, just a specialist view on a back injury, so we’ll wait on that. Broja is getting on the edge of coming into training, he’s doing loads of work at the sports science team, but not yet, it’s a soft start for him but we’ll see where that goes and we’re hopeful that will continue because he’s making good progress.

“Youssef Chermiti is making progress but obviously it’s a very strange injury with the tendon coming off the big toe, it’s a very odd injury, but he is beginning to make progress, although he’s still a number of weeks away, that’s for sure. We’re looking at weeks, certainly weeks, for Tim Iroegbunam, because of the type of injury it is to a bone so we’ve just got to wait for it to settle.

“He’s in a boot, they don’t tend to use casts now. He’s in a boot that protects it and we’re waiting for it to heal, and then get back to training and it’s going to be a number of weeks still yet.”

Despite his previous contract expiring over the summer, Dele Alli is continuing to train at Everton with the possibility of a new deal in the future and when asked about the England international, who hasn’t played for the club for over two years, Dyche said: “Dele is just getting back on the grass again.

"So he’s building up again from another minor injury but unfortunately it costs him a bit more time and he’s just getting on with trying to get fit.”

Last season the Blues boss was visited by a delegation from 777 Partners after the now stricken Miami-based private investment firm agreed a deal with Farhad Moshiri to purchase his entire stake in the club.

However, despite the wantaway majority shareholder now having agreed a takeover deal with the Friedkin Group, none of their people have been over to see the 53-year-old.

Asked if he’d spoken to the prospective owners yet, Dyche replied: “Nope. I keep getting asked but that hasn’t changed since last week, the week before that, the week before that, and the week before that.”