Everton injury latest ahead of festive period

A look at their injury room.

Transcript

00:00Well, looking at Everton and the injury situation, now obviously a few have been out, but as

00:07a whole they've had quite a well-shaped squad up into this sort of halfway point of the

00:12season. What's the latest you can tell us on their injuries? Who's sort of maybe expected

00:16out for a while, who's expected back into this side? And then those players who are

00:20coming back, how will they help Everton in their bid to really sort of cement their season?

00:25It's looking a lot better, to be honest with you. Everton have got a thin squad because

00:32they are trying to keep their weight build-down, etc. It has been difficult when players have

00:39been missing. But yeah, it looks like there might be a little bit of light out at the

00:43end of the tunnel. I mean, the two serious ones are James Garner and Tim Iribudinam,

00:49both been out since October's international break. Garner got back injury, Iribudinam

00:54with a foot issue. Last time Sean Zeich gave an update, he didn't give a time frame on

00:59them, which is always a little bit precarious, isn't it? If you can't say he's back to

01:07be on the grass, as Sean Zeich likes to say, in a week or whatever. So that could imply

01:14that they're still not too close to a return, and it leaves seven short in central midfield.

01:23Dritter, Garnaghey, Auron, Mangala and, absolutely, Decorey are the only options, and you could

01:30argue Decorey is more of a number 10 now. It's where he's done a lot better for Everton.

01:37Dwight McNeil missed the Arsenal game, and that's something that Everton are going to

01:42have to keep an eye on, on Dwight McNeil, because he looks like he's got a little bit

01:46of a knee problem that keeps Flair enough, not a serious one, but enough to miss a game

01:52here and there. Dwight McNeil, one of the key attacking players, so it's tough for Everton

01:58when they are without him. But better news is, Yusuf Chimithy is back. He wasn't in the

02:05squad for Arsenal, which wasn't a surprise, because Armando Brozier is also back now,

02:10and Zeich had better on the bench, but Chimithy gives Everton another attacking option, and

02:17just Armando Brozier, who has a really good cameo when he came on for his debut against

02:23Wolves in the 4-0 win, and shows a little bit about him at Arsenal, to be fair to him

02:27as well. He was isolated, can't play in the Chelsea game because he's on loan from Stamford

02:34Bridge, which is a little bit of a blow. But Everton are starting to get options now, especially

02:41in the final third of the pitch, where that's been a little bit of a thankless task for

02:45Calvert-Lewin at times. Does Sean Zeich really trust Beto to lead the line? I don't think

02:51he does, no. It would be a massive surprise, I don't think, to a lot of fans if he was

02:56to leave the club in January. But, yeah, it's looking better, but if Zeich can get a couple

03:01more options, or at least one more option in central midfield, then that'll be big,

03:05because just a guy like he is for 35 now, and he'll need a little bit of a break at

03:09some point.