Jarrad Branthwaite has only just returned from a long-term injury that kept him out of the first few months of the 2025/26 Premier League season, and so, in some ways, it makes sense that David Moyes opted to leave him out of Saturday's 2-1 win away over Fulham, given the quick turnaround in matches.
Indeed, Everton will host Bournemouth at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday night, with both sides having played on Saturday afternoon. The Toffees will be hoping to secure their third double of the season after winning 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium just over two months ago via a Jack Grealish winner.
The Toffees will need another strong defensive performance as they had in that match, where they held the Cherries to just five total shots on the day, only two of which were on target. The back line from that match of James Garner, James Tarkowski, Jake O'Brien, and Vitalii Mykolenko could provide David Moyes with a template.
That isn't to say that the manager should repeat the group he used back in December, but there's one thing for certain: Branthwaite needs to come back into the side after missing Saturday's match.
My guess is that holding him out against Fulham was by design due to the congestion of the fixtures, although there is a break coming up after tomorrow's clash, so Everton's next match won't come until Monday, February 23, when they host Manchester United.
The hope, then, is that Moyes will bring Branthwaite immediately back into the starting XI, and allow O'Brien to return to his favored position as well, a spot he's thrived in when given the opportunity this season.
This is a drum we've been beating throughout the season, even as Branthwaite's health made his timetable for return uncertain. But it's fairly clear that O'Brien is at his best at centerback, even if he is a passable option at fullback.
The fact is that Moyes chose to keep Nathan Patterson on Merseyside rather than loan him out, so the manager should lean on his Scottish brethren to step into the role, even against a Bournemouth side that has scored the 5th most goals in the league this season.
Everton did add at right back during the transfer window, but that doesn't mean they need to lean on Jake O'Brien to cover there every match. Maybe the manager should consider a return to the back three, but whatever he opts to do, Jarrad Branthwaite must be part of the side on Tuesday.