Season › 2015-16 › News Galloway injury likely to leave Everton short at left back Lyndon Lloyd , 23 August, 35comments | Jump to most recent Roberto Martinez says that the club will assess Brendan Galloway's knee over the next 24 to 48 hours after the 19-year-old was forced off in the first half of today's defeat to Manchester City. The manager said after the game that Galloway was taken off with a patella tendon problem, one which could leave him short of options on that side of defence. Leighton Baines is sidelined until late November following surgery on his troublesome ankle while Luke Garbutt, himself out of action with an ankle complaint, is due to return to Fulham on loan and Bryan Oviedo is short of match fitness. “Obviously it is a problem,” Martinez said. “Leighton’s injury was a big problem for us. “Bryan Oviedo is fully fit now, but he needs that match fitness. Hopefully we will see him on the pitch soon." Reader Comments (35) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Mark Tanton 1 Posted 23/08/2015 at 19:35:07 So are you going to do anything about it Roberto, or is it just classic Evertonian make do and mend? Colin Glassar 2 Posted 23/08/2015 at 19:38:10 Oviedo will start against Barnsley I imagine. Barry, at LB, is also a possibility. Jim Bennings 3 Posted 23/08/2015 at 19:45:49 Oviedo fully fit but where was he today?A bit bizarre really if he's fit yet we end up playing a rookie kid left back! John Byrne 4 Posted 23/08/2015 at 19:54:23 Ashley Cole has had his contract terminated at Roma. What about signing him on a short term deal just to fill the gap? Pete Edwards 5 Posted 23/08/2015 at 19:57:37 Jim, Martinez says in the report he isn't match fit; what more do you want! I'm thinking Man City is not the best game to try and get that in!! Needs easing in a little more. Andrew Laird 6 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:06:10 Oviedo cannot get match fit without playing matches, Roberto! Dick Brady 7 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:07:22 I know Luke Garbutt is injured but by now he is half way through his expected 6 weeks lay off. With the upcoming International break that means Garbutt could be just two Premier League games away from being able to play again.Do we have the option to bring Garbutt back? Jim Bennings 8 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:16:07 PeteNot match fit to even be on the bench yet the same player came on during the Watford home game two weeks ago??No it wouldn't have been the best game for him but playing a rookie right back (Tyias Browning) left back against City of all team's when Galloway went off, that was even more mind boggling.Browning looked a fish out of water. Tom Evans 9 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:17:17 Screaming from the rooftops here, Andy Robertson at Hull is well worth a punt. Ready made replacement and in good form, and let's not forget we were more than interested in him before he joined Hull. John Keating 10 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:20:18 Pete,Martinez could have given Oviedo a start and once too tired replaced him. A half-fit experienced Oviedo is far better than a fully fit inexperienced Galloway, especially against City. Plus if Oviedo is not match fit, why didn't he play in the two U21 games we've had over the last couple of weeks? Dave Harper 11 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:26:59 Hope Oviedo does start at Barnsley if match fitness is the only issue. Must admit my heart sank when the board was shown with Ty coming on at left back (I rate him highly but not as a left back) - couldn't understand why Besic wasn't brought on with Barry going to left back.If Garbutt is fit in say 4 weeks, does anyone know if the loan deal had a recall clause? James Stewart 12 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:36:32 Never really liked Galloway at LB anyway so I can't say I'm too disappointed by this. If Oviedo isn't starting now then what is the point of him being here. Can Garbutt be recalled in January? Minik Hansen 13 Posted 23/08/2015 at 20:38:08 As Martinez stated, Everton is the one that gives the young blood an opportunity.That said, I want Oviedo as well, he's gonna get match fit for sure now.Baines is having a break, I think that's a good thing, he will come back hungry! Coulda scored twice on those freekicks against City today! Paul Whittaker 14 Posted 23/08/2015 at 21:32:05 This could be a stroke of luck as I would like to see Barry moved back which will create room for Cleverley to move centrally and bring a flair player on to the left hand side. Hopefully a new £20 million flair player. Harold Matthews 15 Posted 24/08/2015 at 00:52:41 Tom #8. I've also screamed for Andy Robertson. Absolute dynamite. John Codling 16 Posted 24/08/2015 at 08:00:13 "Bryan Oviedo is fully fit now, but he needs that match fitness. Hopefully we will see him on the pitch soon." Until yesterday every player had 2 competitive matches so every one is short of games. Does no-one fucking train at Finch Farm??? Stephen Brown 17 Posted 24/08/2015 at 09:16:32 I'd rather ride it out for a few weeks with Barry & Browning and hopefully a fit Oviedo than waste funds on a left back. Pete North 18 Posted 24/08/2015 at 09:18:31 Oviedo is bright as a button when on song but he looked slow in the pre-season game against Leeds. Something isn't right with him? (Or maybe he picked up a hamstring injury and the club is too embarrassed to own up to it!) Paul Thompson 19 Posted 24/08/2015 at 09:28:22 Surely buying another left back would be ridiculous. Play Barry and Oviedo. Yes Barry is slow and will get skinned a few times, but his positional sense is excellent and I suspect it's the best option we have in the short term. Ciaran Duff 20 Posted 24/08/2015 at 09:33:56 Fully agree Paul (#18) Mike Allison 21 Posted 24/08/2015 at 09:38:14 Play Oviedo, he needs games and will be good once he gets them. Don't sign anybody, not even the the excellent Robertson. We have three good left backs, a centre back (Galloway) who can cover there, a new centre back who's left footed and Barry. As well as the option of switching Coleman over and playing someone else at right back. Paul Cherrington 22 Posted 24/08/2015 at 11:21:42 Funny how quick football changes... a month or two ago, we had so many left backs we didn't know what to do with them all. Mike Keating 23 Posted 24/08/2015 at 11:37:21 Whatever the answer, Browning is not an option. He looked terrified every time City went down the right. Certainly hasn't done his confidence any favours playing him out of position against the best side in the Prem. Sam Hoare 24 Posted 24/08/2015 at 11:48:08 Think Browning needs to play again soon to banish the demons from yesterday. Poor lad was left horribly exposed and looked very uncomfortable, especially when he took out Stones!! Dave Abrahams 25 Posted 24/08/2015 at 12:00:32 If they sign Mori, surely he can play left back at Spurs. Harold Matthews 26 Posted 24/08/2015 at 12:02:53 The left backs are certainly buckling under the heavy workload.We invariably line up 4-2-3-1 with the "2", Barry and McCarthy, covering middle and right. Very cushy for Coleman and the centre backs but not so cushy for the left back who is left high and dry. Jim Knightley 27 Posted 24/08/2015 at 12:39:31 Why are we talking about signing a left back? Why would we spend £5mil on Robertson (who is obviously lacking defensively even though he is superb going forward), when we have Baines, Garbutt, Oviedo and Galloway at the club long term? Why give Cole a year contract at 㿞,000 plus wages, even though he has declined massively, because of a temporary issue? We need to play Oviedo in a couple of Under-21 games, and get him up to speed so that he can start after the international break. Browning will have to do this weekend if Oviedo isn't ready. We can't add a player to an overburdened part of the squad, especially when we have Oviedo apparently close to match fitness. Stephen Brown 28 Posted 24/08/2015 at 12:47:32 Totally agree, Jim. Why waste valuable funds when we already over subscribed at left back? Behind closed door game for Oviedo in the week? Play him for 70 mins with Browning as cover on bench? Also raises the question what's the point in keeping Hibbo on? Surely it's a situation like this when he would be needed! But he's injured!! Sam Barrett 29 Posted 24/08/2015 at 12:57:12 For god's sake, give Galloway and Browning a break! Both of them were playing out of position (more so Browning) against one of the best attacking line-ups in World football! The only way these boys are gonna improve / develop is by playing against quality, week-in & week-out. I remember Coleman getting roasted by Di Maria some years ago at Benfica; I'd like to see the outcome next time they play against each other: it will not be the same outcome. Phrases like "fish out of water" and "rabbit in headlights" are not helpful. Support your team, especially these exciting young prospects. Ernie Baywood 30 Posted 24/08/2015 at 12:58:26 Mike Allison - Seamus would be my choice. He has a tendency to come inside anyway when he's on the ball. I could see him posing a threat over there. Might actually be a decent option out of a bad situation. John Hall 31 Posted 24/08/2015 at 13:38:46 What about young Robinson? Start with Oviedo, then when he tires, bring on Robinson. Denis Richardson 34 Posted 24/08/2015 at 17:53:44 Sorry if it's been answered above and also a bit obvious but what's happened to Oviedo?By all accounts he's injury free and good to go. Was surprised he wasnt even in the match day squad against city. Really is true Everton style that after all the back and forth with Garbutt and us having too many LBs, we seem to have gone from 4 to zero in the space of a few weeks! Dick Brady 35 Posted 24/08/2015 at 18:18:25 Antonee Robinson is a right back, I think. Trevor Lynes 36 Posted 24/08/2015 at 19:58:20 Galloway and Browning are nowhere near Premier League ready and we should not have allowed Garbutt to go out on loan until we had cover in place.Everton are quick to dump players like Distin and loan out players like Garbutt but really snail-paced at bringing players in.This situation is criminally inept boardroom bungling.We are supposed to be a premier league club in the top 30 richest clubs in the world....we are a fucking disgrace and this board cannot be trusted.We leave things until the last minute and now Mori is only hopeful of a work permit!!! Trevor Lynes 37 Posted 24/08/2015 at 22:16:49 Holgate looked much better than Galloway and Browning when he played a few days ago. He is definitely more confident and will pass the ball forward.Galloway and Browning looked scared to me and as soon as they got the ball they got rid. 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