“Everton and Brighton Clash in Season Opener Amid Injury Woes and High Stakes”
Everton’s 2024-25 Premier League season kicks off with a home game against Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park on Saturday (15.00 BST).
Fans of the Toffees are hoping for a calmer season compared to the past three, where Everton narrowly escaped relegation in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Last season was marred by an eight-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules, along with a failed takeover bid, but Sean Dyche still managed to steer the team to safety. Without the points deduction, they would have finished 12th. After a 1-1 draw in their final pre-season match against AS Roma, most supporters would be content with a mid-table finish, especially with the move to a new stadium next year.
Brighton, on the other hand, experienced significant changes over the summer, with Roberto De Zerbi leaving and Fabian Hurzeler stepping in as the new head coach. The Seagulls are coming off a 4-0 victory over Villarreal last weekend as they prepare for the trip to Merseyside.
Both teams aim for a strong start to the season but are dealing with more injury concerns than usual for this time of year. Here’s a summary of the early team news:
Everton Players:
– Jarrad Branthwaite: Underwent groin surgery earlier in the summer and did not participate in pre-season games. Sean Dyche mentioned it’s unlikely he’ll play against Brighton.
– Nathan Patterson: Recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in April; had surgery and missed the Euros with Scotland.
– Youssef Chermiti: Had minor foot surgery last week following an injury in training.
– Stanley Mills: Suffered a knee injury during a loan spell at Oxford United last season and is still recovering.
– Seamus Coleman: Limped off with a calf injury in the recent draw against Roma; set to be assessed.
– Michael Keane: Missed the Roma match due to a knee injury, but is expected to return to training this week.
– James Garner: Has been out with a calf issue, but Dyche downplayed concerns about his availability after the 3-0 friendly win against Preston earlier this month.
Brighton Players:
– Bart Verbruggen: The goalkeeper is set to miss the start of the season due to an unspecified issue.
– Solly March:Recovering from an ACL operation last season.
– Pervis Estupinan: Continues to recover from ankle surgery.
– Julio Enciso: Represented Paraguay at the Copa America and Olympics, and is being given time to recover after a minor injury.
– Igor Julio: Absent throughout pre-season and not yet match-fit for the Goodison clash.
– Evan Ferguson: The striker hasn’t played in pre-season due to a foot injury, a significant loss for Brighton.
Brighton Players Doubtful:
– Billy Gilmour: The midfielder hasn’t featured in pre-season and is a transfer target for Napoli.
– Tariq Lamptey:Did not play against Villarreal and may still be unavailable.