A quartet of players were named by David Moyes as guys who will factor into his final decision for Monday's team sheet against Leeds at Elland Road.
Chief among them is centerback Jarrad Branthwaite, who already missed the entirety of the Toffees' trip to the United States and only just returned for the club's final preseason matchup against Roma last Saturday at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Bobble reported earlier in the week that the injury had happened, and Moyes confirmed on Friday that Branthwaite would miss the trip to Leeds.
Everton prepared for this by bringing back Michael Keane as a fourth centerback this summer, but the downgrade from Branthwaite to Keane is certainly a big one, especially in terms of pace and ability on the ball. Jake O'Brien, of course, is likely to serve as the first choice right back for Moyes until a replacement is found.
Speaking of that position, Moyes listed Nathan Patterson as one of three players who "may feature" in the opener. The other two are left back Vitalii Mykolenko and midfielder Harrison Armstrong. Patterson suffered a hernia injury near the end of the Premier League Summer Series tour, Armstrong also sustained an injury in the US, and Mykolenko came off early in the Roma match.
It is good to see that the Ukrainian defender has not been ruled out for Monday, as Adam Aznou, the teenage left back that Everton signed this summer, may not be ready for the spotlight just yet.
The duo of Patterson and Armstrong was not likely to feature in the starting XI anyway, but having further depth through those players would be helpful.
As the transfer window remains open for a few more weeks, it will be imperative that Everton continue to add to the depth of the squad, but for now, the group is what it is for the season opener.