Nathan Patterson may have a new window of opportunity, amid concerning claims about the fitness of Jarrad Branthwaite following his recent return from injury.
Jarrad Branthwaite returned to match action for the Toffees back in January, after missing the first half of the season with a hamstring injury that he picked up in pre-season.
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Everton actually managed fairly well without him.
But it’s clear that the backline is much better off with him in it, and Branthwaite’s presence could be crucial to Everton’s push for European football.
But one new claim about Branthwaite is slightly worrying, although Nathan Patterson may now start to get some minutes again.
Nathan Patterson could rotate in for Jarrad Branthwaite
Nathan Patterson playing for Everton.
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Branthwaite’s minutes will apparently now be managed carefully by Everton following his return from injury.
The defender has not joined his teammates for warm weather training and has instead stayed at Finch Farm to work on an individual programme.
The objective of this, according to one insider on X, was to ‘to focus on individual workload and rehabilitation’.
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If Branthwaite will be in and out of the team, then that is likely going to see Jake O’Brien playing in the middle more often.
O’Brien is considerably better playing in the middle and if Moyes does move the Irishman inside when Branthwaite isn’t playing, then that will mean an opportunity for Patterson.
Now, we did see recently against Manchester United that Moyes is not afraid to put James Garner in there ahead of his fellow Scot.
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But Garner, like O’Brien in defence, is so much better in the middle – and his all-action statistics further emphasise this.
This should be the moment we see Patterson coming into the team a bit more, and hopefully Moyes will finally put round pegs in round holes.
That said, Moyes did recently still play O’Brien against Newcastle at right-back ahead of Patterson, even though he’d been ill.
If nothing changes, and Patterson remains on the bench with O’Brien staying out wide and Michael Keane replacing Branthwaite, then this will really say it all about how Moyes sees Patterson.
It would be hard to see Patterson still being an Everton player next season if he’s not the first port of call to rotate in for Branthwaite.
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