Everton vs Brentford: Injury Crisis Hits Both Sides – 7 Key Players in Doubt, Including Major Attacking Stars
Everton’s season resumes after the international break as they host Brentford at Goodison Park (3pm GMT).
The Toffees have had a mixed start to the campaign, collecting 10 points from 11 games, leaving them in 16th place in the Premier League. However, manager Sean Dyche will take encouragement from Everton’s recent form, losing just once in their last seven matches, including a 0-0 draw against West Ham United in their last outing. Despite this, fans are concerned about the difficult run of fixtures ahead, with games against Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City next month. Therefore, securing all three points against Brentford could prove crucial.
Brentford, sitting 11th in the table, have struggled on the road, losing all five of their away matches so far this season. This gives Everton a good opportunity to secure their second league win of the campaign. Ahead of the match, here’s a breakdown of the injury situation for both teams.
Everton Team News
James Garner – Out: The midfielder continues to recover from a back injury sustained during October’s international break and was not seen in training last week.
Tim Iroegbunam – Out: The summer signing from Aston Villa is sidelined with a stress foot fracture suffered during October’s international break. He has not been seen training with the team.
Youssef Chermiti – Out: The striker is still recovering from a foot injury sustained just before the season started and is a long way from returning.
Armando Broja – Major doubt: Broja, on loan from Chelsea with an Achilles issue, has resumed training with Everton. Dyche stated that Broja will need match fitness before making a first-team appearance, but he could be on the bench as Everton’s Under-21s don’t play until Monday.
Seamus Coleman – Major doubt: The Everton captain has struggled with injuries this season, including a hamstring problem before the West Ham match, and may not be ready for this game.
Jarrad Branthwaite – Doubt: Branthwaite made his second start of the season against West Ham, but after being called up to the England squad, he returned to Merseyside for treatment following a separate training session. Everton will monitor his condition closely.
Dwight McNeil – Doubt: McNeil missed the West Ham match with a knee issue but has had time to recover.
Stanley Mills – Out: The 21-year-old is recovering from a knee injury he sustained while on loan at Oxford United, though he has returned to running after nearly a year of rehabilitation.
Brentford Team News
Rico Henry – Out: The left-back has been sidelined for over a year due to an ACL injury, and Brentford are being patient with his recovery.
Josh Dasilva – Out: Dasilva is another long-term absentee, recovering from a knee injury.
Aaron Hickey – Out: The right-back is expected to miss the majority of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery in August.
Igor Thiago – Major doubt: Thiago, a £30 million summer signing, is recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in pre-season. He featured for the under-21s earlier this month but may need more time before returning to the first team.
Gustavo Nunes – Major doubt: Nunes, who joined from Gremio in the summer, is yet to make his Brentford debut due to a back injury. He also played for the under-21s recently, and the club will assess his readiness for first-team action.
Kristoffer Ajer – Doubt: Ajer has missed Brentford’s last four games due to a foot injury.
Bryan Mbeumo – Doubt: The Bees’ top scorer with eight goals has missed both of Cameroon’s international fixtures, with manager Marc Brys citing injury.
Yoane Wissa – Doubt: Wissa, who has netted seven goals this season, withdrew from DR Congo’s international squad due to injury.
Ethan Pinnock – Doubt: Pinnock didn’t feature for Jamaica during the international break, with manager Steve McClaren confirming the defender picked up an injury.
