“Cruel” injury blow for Everton star just as comeback was near
At Everton F.C., the enthusiasm was building. The much-awaited return of Jarrad Branthwaite looked on the horizon. Then came another hammer-blow.
The central defender, who has yet to feature this season after his hamstring injury, had been tipped for inclusion in the squad that travelled to the Etihad. He was, according to insiders, very close. But it wasn’t to be.
“He is back out in the grass and he’ll be close for this week,” said manager David Moyes after the first part of his pre-City press conference on Friday morning.
The club later published images of the 23-year-old training in full on Thursday. Everything looked aligned for a return.
Yet, hours later, a fresh setback emerged. A complication in his recovery has forced Everton into a rethink. The timing could not be worse.
The defender had been earmarked as the cornerstone of Moyes’ summer restructuring. His personal ambitions, including a bid for an England squad place at next year’s World Cup, were vivid and within reach. Those hopes now sit in limbo.
Branthwaite is no stranger to long spells on the sidelines. He missed all of last summer and the opening weeks of the previous campaign, only to return as a key figure in one of the Premier League’s more resilient defences.
We can confirm Jarrad Branthwaite has experienced a complication in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
— Everton (@Everton) October 20, 2025
The recurrence of a hamstring issue, his third of its kind, has caused Moyes’ understandable concern.
The manager remarked: “He’s a tall, lean boy, 22, I don’t know if he just, and I don’t mean develop, but certainly his limbs and everything are still getting to the point where they should be. That might be some of the reasons for it.”
Everton, meanwhile, began the season promisingly. The club’s move to the Hills Dickinson Stadium and significant squad investment suggested a fresh era.
On Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Manchester City, they held their own for an hour, but missed chances and the clinical finishing of Erling Haaland underlined the gulf they still hope to close.
While veteran Michael Keane has stepped up and looks to justify his contract extension, Branthwaite’s presence would have brought a different dimension: pace, left-footed balance, and ball-playing ability.
His return would have strengthened the structure, allowing Everton to deal better with the high-tempo transitions that left them vulnerable.
Moyes had made keeping Branthwaite a priority. “The thing that you mustn’t forget about Jarrad is his ability on the ball, his pace, his stature.
He is a left-footed centre-back and I think that he’s hugely important to the future of Everton and where we go forward and how we build…” he said.
“I didn’t want to sign another player before I signed Jarrad. I felt Jarrad had to be [the priority]… and I do agree that we’re missing him because of his injuries.”
Now, the club faces an unwanted delay to their plans. The rebuilding process, the move to a new stadium, and the statement contract Branthwaite signed were all part of a narrative pointing upward. Instead, Everton finds itself again dealing with adversity.
For the player: a long road ahead. For the club, a challenge to adapt without a key component of their defence. And for the fans: renewed hope, tempered by frustration.
Everton’s next steps will be watched closely. The question remains: how do they bridge the gap without a defender many believed was central to their future?
