Everton vs Arsenal: Injury Updates and Squad Strengths
Everton walk into the Emirates on Saturday knowing two things: their own treatment room is unusually quiet, and Arsenal’s is not.
That’s about as much as David Moyes is prepared to share.
The Scot, whose side slipped to a flat 2-0 home defeat against Chelsea last weekend, arrives in North London with just one win from six Premier League games. That solitary victory, away at Ipswich Town five weeks ago, already feels distant. Now comes Arsenal, the reigning champions, and a stadium where few visitors leave with anything more than regrets.
Moyes plays it close
Everton’s biggest boost is simple: there are no confirmed senior absentees.
Vitalii Mykolenko has shaken off the knock he picked up on international duty with Ukraine and is back in the fold. Christian Norgaard, once on Arsenal’s books, has also rejoined the action, making his debut off the bench against Chelsea. For a club that has often cursed its luck with injuries in recent seasons, the contrast is striking.
But Moyes is in no mood to hand Arsenal any extra information. Jarrad Branthwaite missed training on Thursday, instantly raising questions over his involvement this weekend. Asked about the centre-back’s condition in his pre-match press conference, Moyes shut the door. He refused to be drawn not only on Branthwaite, but on the fitness of any individual, offering only a vague nod to “wear and tear” in the squad.
So the picture is clear and murky at the same time. On paper, Everton travel with a full senior group. In reality, Branthwaite stands as the lone doubt, his status left deliberately hanging.
- Out: None
- Doubtful: Jarrad Branthwaite (unknown)
Arsenal count the cost
If Everton arrive with questions, Arsenal turn up with certainties – and not the kind Mikel Arteta wanted.
Bukayo Saka, the heartbeat of Arsenal’s right flank and previously hailed as “outstanding” by Jamie Redknapp, is out. The winger picked up a thigh injury this week, one that is expected to sideline him for up to two months. The exact prognosis is still being worked through, but there is no ambiguity about Saturday: Saka will not face Everton.
He is not alone. William Saliba, a cornerstone of Arsenal’s title-winning defence, remains a long-term absentee with the back injury he suffered at the World Cup. His absence continues to reshape Arteta’s back line and forces another adjustment in a game where Arsenal would normally expect to dominate.
Christos Tzolis is also unavailable. The summer signing, sidelined with a thigh injury picked up on duty with Greece, is edging towards a return but will not be ready in time for Everton’s visit.
- Out: Bukayo Saka (thigh), William Saliba (back), Christos Tzolis (thigh)
So the champions go into the weekend shorn of three significant pieces, while Everton arrive almost at full strength, shielded by their manager’s silence. One squad is patched together, the other is close to complete. At the Emirates, we are about to find out which matters more.
