Full team news from the Emirates Stadium as both James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite are absent from the Everton starting-line up and squad for the clash with Arsenal
Jarrad Branthwaite during the Premier League match between Everton and Burnley at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Jarrad Branthwaite during the Premier League match between Everton and Burnley at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
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Everton will start the game against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (5.30pm kick-off) without their first-choice centre-back pairing with Jarrad Branthwaite AND James Tarkowski missing out.
Branthwaite was a doubt coming into the match after he was not involved in the Everton warm weather training camp in Portugal.
David Moyes had appeared to hint the England international was in contention for the trip to the Emirates when responding to questions over his fitness at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
He did, however, make clear Branthwaite’s availability would be dependent on the advice of club medics given his workload required oversight after he missed the first five months of the season with hamstring issues.
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The loss of Tarkowski is a bigger surprise and another significant blow given the importance of the defender, who is captain when Seamus Coleman is not on the pitch.
Tarkowski had started every Premier League game this season and his only absence since signing for the Blues in 2022 followed the hamstring injury against Manchester City that ended his season early last April.
With neither present - Moyes is expected to provide detail in his pre-match media duties - Michael Keane returns to the starting line-up. He will partner Jake O’Brien, who has spent much of this season at right-back but has excelled when given a chance in his favoured central position.
Moyes said: "We’re missing two centre-halves today but we’ve also got two who have done really well. It shouldn’t make too much difference, hopefully."
The issues at centre-back have had a knock-on effect elsewhere. James Garner, arguably one of the best-performing central midfielders in the league this season, will fill in at right back - as he has done previously this season.
Tim Iroegbunam will take his slot - as he did when Everton faced Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium last month.
The Blues' first XI is otherwise unchanged.
EVERTON: Pickford, Garner, O'Brien, Keane, Mykolenko, Gueye, Iroegbunam, McNeil, Dewsbury-hall, Ndiaye, Beto Subs: Travers, Dibling, Coleman, Patterson, Barry, George, Rohl, Aznou, Armstrong
ARSENAL: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Madueke, Eze, Saka, Havertz. Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Hincapie, Jesus, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman