Prince Rupert's Tower
Fansided

Everton finish pre-season with another win but more serious injury concerns

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 5: James Tarkowski of Everton receives medical attention during the pre-season friendly match between Everton and Sporting Lisbon at Goodison Park on August 5, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 5: James Tarkowski of Everton receives medical attention during the pre-season friendly match between Everton and Sporting Lisbon at Goodison Park on August 5, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

This afternoon Everton played their final pre-season match and defeated Sporting CP 1-0 thanks to a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty, but saw another key player pick up an injury.

The Toffees have remained unbeaten during the pre-season warm-up games, which is not particularly important in itself but does at least provide a bit of positivity to go into a new Premier League campaign. And Blues fans have had precious little of that in recent months!

Everton rounded things out this afternoon with a narrow one goal win over the Portuguese team at Goodison Park courtesy of Calvert-Lewin’s spot kick.

It was good to see the former England international return to fitness and provide a strong all-round centre-forward performance. When healthy he make a huge difference to this team.

As ever though, we cannot know how long he will stay fit or rely on him and so the club simply must bring in at least one other forward, preferably two.

And, as with last weekend’s victory over Stoke City – again by a single goal – the Blues saw another important player have to leave the pitch with a suspected injury.

Last time it was Dwight McNeil who was the victim of some truly agricultural challenges from the Championship side’s players. He is now a doubt for the season opener against Fulham.

Additionally, new signing Arnaut Danjuma was also absent, which is a little worrying too.

Today, key defensive rock James Tarkowski also had to go off late in the match and if he is seriously hurt then that is a massive problem for Sean Dyche.

Tarkowski is without doubt Everton’s best and most consistent centre-back, and if he is absent for any length of time it will have a major and negative impact on the Toffees defence.

This summer the club have let both Conor Coady and Yerry Mina leave and this always seemed a risky strategy leaving only Tarkowski, Micheal Keane, Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate as senior centre-backs.

Of course, the problem is there are very significant doubts about the ability of Keane, Godfrey and Holgate to perform well enough at Premier League level.

In addition, Holgate is possibly also leaving this summer with rumours that he is perhaps off to Southampton very soon.

So, this means that Everton would only have Keane and Godfrey to pick from who have significant experience in the English top flight.

However, there is one other central defender who once again impressed and who must surely now have a great chance of starting against the Cottagers next weekend.

That player is Jarrad Branthwaite.

I am a big fan of the young 21-year-old defender and again this afternoon he came on and performed well, putting in vital challenges and looking comfortable on the ball as always.

If Tarkowski is not fit enough to face Fulham, Branthwaite must get the nod, persumably playing alongside Keane if Tarkowski isn’t fit.

That is in itself a worry though as the former Burnley man has repeatedly made serious and costly mistakes time and again.

Obviously, partnering him with the still inexperienced Branthwaite would be risky but if Holgate has gone that only leaves Godfrey who also struggled badly last season.

We have to hope that Tarkowski isn’t badly injured and can recover in time for next weekend. Then I would like to see him partner Branthwaite on opening day.