Everton have now been handed a boost ahead of Saturday’s clash with Fulham as James Tarkowski returns to training.
The ‘fantastic’ defender limped off during last Saturday’s 1-0 pre-season friendly win over Sporting CP, prompting fears he could miss the season opener.
However, as per The Bobble, who reported via his Twitter account, the 30-year-old centre-back has ‘recovered’ from the knock he suffered against the Portuguese side.
The Bobble tweeted: “James Tarkowski has recovered from his knock against Sporting on Saturday and is back in training ahead of Everton’s fixture against Fulham.”
James Tarkowski is vital presence at the back for Everton
The Toffees welcome Marco Silva’s side to Goodison Park for the opening fixture of the 2023/24 Premier League season, and Tarkowski’s availability will be a huge boost for Sean Dyche.
The former Burnley man was one of Everton’s standout performers last season, providing consistent and reliable cover at the back whilst the Blues spent most of the campaign defensively firefighting.
Sean Dyche is likely to be in the market for a new centre-back this summer following the departures of free agent Yerry Mina, who has subsequently signed for Fiorentina, and loan signing Conor Coady, who made the switch from Wolves to Leicester City after his loan at Everton expired.
Indeed, Everton’s desperate need for a new centre-forward has perhaps distracted from the limited options the Blues currently have at the back, with Tarkowski arguably one of the first names on the team sheet.
Jarrad Branthwaite returns from his loan spell at PSV Eindhoven and, provided he stays at the club amidst links of a summer departure, he could play a big role at Goodison Park this season.
However, Sean Dyche’s remaining options are threadbare and lack quality, with the likes of Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate underperforming for the Toffees.