According to The Bobble, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite is not in the squad that traveled to the United States today for the Premier League Summer Series tour.
The centerback was also not in the team for Everton's behind-closed-doors friendly against Port Vale FC earlier this week. While there is not a great concern about Branthwaite's long term health or availablity for the start of the Premier League season, it does put the club in quite a conundrum as they continue the preseason.
While James Tarkowski did travel with the club, you would not anticipate him being ready to play much, if at all, during the three matches coming up, which begin this Saturday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. That leaves just Michael Keane and Jake O'Brien as the senior centerbacks for these games.
You would have expected to see plenty of the young players who are likely to play for the U21s or U18s this year during the tour, but not having Branthwaite or Tarkowski will create some major holes in the squad that will be available for David Moyes for these nine days.
The coverage at central defender was never really something that many supporters were considering this summer, especially once Keane re-signed, but Branthwaite's absence really shows how thin the margins can be at this level of football.
We're still waiting to see who is on the squad and who will be available for selection for the three matches, although photos of the club reveal most of the senior squad is on the trip, including Seamus Coleman, Charly Alcaraz, Beto, and James Garner.
This is the trouble with injuries, but the hope is that Branthwaite will be ready for the start of the Premier League season, with the rest while the team is away allowing him to be good to go.