Lyndon Lloyd 05/08/2023 7comments  |  Jump to last

Dwight McNeil has been ruled out of the first game of the new season with manager Sean Dyche admitting that the winger is facing weeks out of action.

McNeil was on the end of some nasty tackles during Everton's friendly win at Stoke City last weekend and was forced off following the last of them with what initially appeared to be just a knock.

However, further assessment revealed the injury to be more than just bruising and while the club have not revealed any specifics following McNeil's trip to London for further scans, it does appear as though he will miss the visit of Fulham when the Premier League resumes next Saturday with ankle ligament damage.

Dyche initially said the player faces "a little period" out of action and that the injury still needs to "settle down" before the player can resume training but later confirmed McNeil is looking at weeks on the sidelines.

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The manager also provided updates on Arnaut Danjuma, who missed today's friendly against Sporting CP, and James Tarkowski who was withdrawn from the 1-0 win over the Portuguese side with a knock of his own.

Dyche told the official site that he is "hopeful [Danjuma] will be back on grass next week" in time to prepare for the clash with the Cottagers and that the medical staff were just "being ultra careful" with Tarkowski who is a vital member of the back four.

 

Reader Comments (7)

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Jonathan Oppenheimer
1 Posted 05/08/2023 at 19:58:30
If Tarkowski avoided anything serious, Danjuma's knock is truly minor and McNeil is back in a month, I'd be over the moon.

Any of them out for a significant period of time and we're in trouble. We all know what Tarkowski means and we need true wingers, not Iwobi and Garner out wide.

Pete Gunby
2 Posted 05/08/2023 at 21:06:51
Fortunately we have recruited a large pool of players to draw from and a few injuries won't affect us… said no-one ever. Dyche will need to make us defensively brilliant in order to survive.
Alan J Thompson
3 Posted 06/08/2023 at 07:07:10
If all three are out for at least the first game, then I suppose Mr Dyche will play Keane alongside Branthwaite as the alternatives seem to be perm any two from four with Godfrey and Holgate in the reckoning.

As Gray might be going to Fulham, then I doubt he will be on the park for either side which leaves us with just Young to play as winger/wingback in front of Mykolenko or, heaven help us, Maupay alongside Calvert-Lewin.

As desperate as it seems, I think I'd prefer we sign Barkley and play him in any position instead of Maupay. Do we have any wingers/wide players in the youth system, not that the Manager favours playing them?

Strangely, I can't help wondering how Simms alongside Calvert-Lewin might have worked out and I suppose Dobbin and Cannon will be on the bench.

Alternatively, it's back to KITAP-1 asking Doucoure and Onana to get forward as often as possible – which may even be the game plan if Tarkowski is fit.

Robert Leigh
4 Posted 06/08/2023 at 07:46:55
It didn't really work having Garner as right-midfield yesterday, so if Danjuma is only fit for the bench (and assuming Tarkowski is okay), I imagine we'd go:

Pickford
Patterson - Tarkowski - Branthwaite - Mykolenko
Gana
Iwobi - Onana - Doucoure - Young
Calvert-Lewin

Though I'd love to see us be brave and play Dobbin as an unexpected element for Fulham, with Young moving to left-back or even right-back if Patterson isn't fancied.

Tony Everan
5 Posted 06/08/2023 at 07:59:24
Dyche won't mind winning 1-0 every week. So because of the injuries, the line-up will be very similar to the one that started yesterday. Exactly the same apart from Branthwaite starting instead of Godfrey.

One thing that he will be demanding is better quality final balls into the box. There is plenty of room for improvement from a number of players.

Peter Moore
6 Posted 06/08/2023 at 08:23:28
I sincerely hope the players put in an entirely different performance than the last visit of Fulham just a few months ago.

Shorn of their star striker, in a winless streak, they breezed into Goodison and won at an embarrassingly easy canter, didn't they?

This is a chance to push that abject display into history and replace it with a confidence-inspiring, full-blooded, energy-packed display to give us hope and belief that this season shall be a different story.

McNeil was by far our most effective attacker in the second half of the season, I wish him a fast recovery. We need others to step up, stand up and deliver in his absence.

Backed by a raucous home crowd, let's get off to a strong start and get some momentum going right from the kick-off. COYB.

Colin Glassar
7 Posted 06/08/2023 at 08:58:23
The modern day footballer is as brittle as a cup of bone China. Get a “knock” and they're out for weeks. Have a grimace on their faces after a challenge and they are withdrawn “as a precaution”. Head a ball and a brain scan is needed. Sneeze and they are put in quarantine etc….

I might be exaggerating but what happened to putting an ice pack on the sore bit, bandaging it up and taking an aspirin? Bunch of fucking cissies this lot.

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