David Moyes has revealed that Everton will be missing several important players for their final Premier League match of the season against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Sunday.
With a 13th-place finish already confirmed, Everton head into this clash without any pressure — unlike their opponents, who are in a must-win situation to secure Champions League qualification. Although the Toffees have little left at stake, the fixture presents an opportunity to end their season on a high.
Everton bid an emotional farewell to Goodison Park in memorable fashion last weekend, bringing their 133-year chapter at the historic ground to a close with a convincing win over bottom-placed Southampton. Iliman Ndiaye struck twice to cap off a memorable occasion for the more than 39,000 fans in attendance at the stadium.
The Merseyside club will relocate to the new 52,888-seater Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock next season, as Goodison Park transitions into the new home of Everton’s women’s side.
They’ll now aim to wrap up the season on a positive note by potentially denting Newcastle’s hopes of Champions League qualification. This exact fixture last season finished 1-1—a result that notably hampered Newcastle’s European push then—and they’ll be eager to repeat that outcome on Sunday.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman to miss Newcastle clash
Ahead of Sunday’s clash, Moyes confirmed to the media that key defenders Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman will play no part at St James’ Park, compounding Everton’s injury woes at the back.
Branthwaite and Coleman both picked up injuries during the 2-0 win over Southampton, with the former ruled out for four to five weeks due to a hamstring issue and the latter nursing a thigh problem.
“He [Branthwaite] is injured and won’t be available,” Moyes said. “It will probably be four or five weeks with a hamstring injury. Seamus is not available either.”
He added, “There’s not much we can do about it, but he is a big loss to us, and we will have to live with it just now. Seamus is not available.”
With James Tarkowski also sidelined, Moyes faces a defensive crisis that could see him reshuffle his back line, possibly relying on untested players or fielding others out of position.
One certainty, however, is the inclusion of Ashley Young, who is expected to make his final appearance for Everton before leaving as a free agent.
Home»Premier League»David Moyes provides injury update on Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman ahead of Newcastle clash