Reliable journalist Paul Joyce has handed Everton another injury blow ahead of their return to Premier League action, alongside the issues for James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite.
Everton injuries before Ipswich clash
The Blues are back after the international break, facing a massive trip to Ipswich Town, as two struggling teams do battle at Portman Road. Sean Dyche’s men are only one place and one point ahead of the newly-promoted outfit, highlighting the importance of Saturday’s result.
Everton need as many players fit and firing as possible this weekend, allowing depth to make a difference from the substitutes’ bench. Still, Dyche knows he will have to make do without several important players. Both Garner and Branthwaite are doubts, with the latter enduring a horribly fitness-plagued season to date, which hasn’t allowed him to kick on after such an impressive 2023/24 campaign.
Seamus Coleman, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Armando Broja are also absent, but on the plus side, influential attacking ace Iliman Ndiaye looks likely to be available. Now, however, another injury blow has emerged, acting as a new setback for Dyche.
Everton handed fresh injury blow
Taking to X on Thursday, Joyce confirmed that Everton youngster Tim Iroegbunam is now expected to be out for “weeks” with a foot issue, ruling him out of the Ipswich game in the process:
This is another setback that Everton could really do without, considering the 21-year-old has been a firm fixture in the team so far this season.
Iroegbunam has started four of the Blues’ seven Premier League matches, as well as appearing in another two, and he has been a solid performer at the heart of their midfield. He has averaged an impressive three tackles per game, showing how effective he is in his off-the-ball wor – only Roman Dixon (5.0) has a higher average for Everton this season, who has only played once.
During his Aston Villa days, there was also the small matter of the young Englishman being hailed by a legendary former midfielder in Steven Gerrard, who said of him: “He’s got a fantastic profile for a number six. He’s a long project for us to work at. He’s still very raw but he’s got a lot of attributes that we like.
“Tim has got to work on his game, I went to watch him for the under-23s in the week, and he started a little bit slow and got sent off at the end but in the middle bit of the game he was outstanding and looked like a Premier League player.”
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Having both Iroegbunam and Garner out is far from ideal for Dyche, in terms of his midfield options, and the Everton boss will be desperate to see both back in the fold as soon as possible.