Everton manager Sean Dyche has admitted his squad is already “stretched” just a week into the new season, with a fresh injury concern over James Tarkowski potentially leaving them with as few as 14 available first-team players for Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
Tarkowski, 31, is yet to miss a Premier League game for Everton since joining as a free agent from Burnley in the summer of 2022. He is nursing a slight hamstring complaint though and will be assessed ahead of the weekend.
It leaves Dyche with a further defensive headache, with all three of his senior right-back options also currently available.
Captain Seamus Coleman and midfielder James Garner (both calf) are edging closer to a return but Ashley Young is suspended following his red card against Brighton last weekend. Another key defender, Jarrad Branthwaite, is “not close” to a comeback.
Branthwaite is not close to a return, says Dyche (James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images)
“Jarrad is still a bit a way,” Dyche said on Thursday. “He’s not close at the moment. A few of the lads are getting a bit closer — Seamus is getting a bit closer, Jimmy Garner is getting a bit closer and is just coming back in training with the group.
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“Tarky has got a maybe situation so we’re going to have to look at that going into the next game, we obviously know the right-back situation with the suspension of Youngy as well.
“Youssef (Chermiti) is a bit longer-term, Patterson is a bit longer-term as well — so it’s still a challenge that’s ongoing and we haven’t got much of a situation to correct it with financially so we’ve just got to work with the players and hope they get back to being fully fit and staying fully fit.”
Dyche has been reluctant to blood Everton’s summer signings, preferring instead to give them time to get up to speed. But with injuries biting, centre-back Jake O’Brien is one potential solution in defence after joining from Lyon earlier this summer. The Irishman is yet to make a competitive start for his new club.
At right-back, Dyche faces a choice between either Mason Holgate, previously out of favour, or youngster Roman Dixon if he sticks with his normal 4-4-1-1 setup. He could also look to switch formation to a back five and utilise at least one of Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil in wing-back roles.
But the situation is far from ideal at this early juncture in the season.
Everton started the campaign with a disappointing 3-0 home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
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(Top photo: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
