Branthwaite a new injury doubt ahead of Everton clash with Newcastle

The England international had of course only just returned to the Everton team after missing the first five matches of the new season.

His absence had been sorely missed with the Blues suffering four consecutive defeats and only managing a solitary point gained in the last of those games at Leicester City.

Then, when Branthwaite did make his long-awaited debut in this 2024-25 Premier League campaign, his side finally won last weekend.

Although the 22-year-old defender was not the only reason for Everton at last securing those three points, he was a key figure in the win whose return certainly strengthened the Toffees critical back four very considerably.

Branthwaite was reunited with his regular partner from last season, James Tarkowski, and the two are without doubt the best central defensive pairing Sean Dyche possesses.

But now having just come back, it appears as though Branthwaite could well be missing again for tomorrow's clash with the Magpies at Goodison Park.

If he is unable to shake off the new problem that is creating doubt in Sean Dyche's mind, then it will be a massive blow and the Blues manager will have to make a big decision as to who starts in his place alongside Tarkowski tomorrow evening.

The candidate Dyche is most likely to choose to come in for Branthwaite would be Micheal Keane and given Dyche's past history he seems almost certain to do so again.

Such a situation is far from ideal given Keane's past history of repeated slip-ups and defensive errors and does not bode well for a game tomorrow that the Toffees also need to win.

The only other choice would be Jake O'Brien and while he has potential and started against Southampton in the League cup defeat recently, he has very little Premier League experience.

Looking at the rest of the side that Dyche might select there is a case for sticking with a winning team - apart from Branthwaite of course - and hope for a repeat of last Saturday's result.

However, although Everton did win that game, they were well off the pace in the first half and after starting very slowly it was apparently only after a spirited rallying cry by club captain Seamus Coleman that the players turned things around in the second half.

The Toffees cannot start so slowly and lethargically again - especially at home - if they are to turn around a season that has once again begun so badly.

Whoever lines up for the Blues at half five tomorrow afternoon will have to raise their game considerably to beat a much stronger side in Newcastle who enjoyed a morale-boosting result against champions Manchester City last weekend.