Everton want to end 'cycle of misery' amid latest setback for 10-app star - report

Jarrad Branthwaite is set to spend time with Everton, figuring out the root cause of his hamstring issues after his latest setback.

The centre-back has been sidelined for the majority of the season with a hamstring injury, and Evertonians couldn’t believe their luck when they saw him go down once more against Liverpool on Sunday.

Branthwaite was seen in tears as he was stretchered off the field during Everton’s 2-1 loss to the Reds last weekend, and his season is now all but over.

However, according to The Athletic, the Toffees will work closely with the defender in trying to end this “cycle of misery” by getting to the bottom of what is going wrong, but answers will not be easy to come by.

Branthwaite has suffered from injury for too long, and Everton want to prevent him from having the same issue ever again.

The goods news about Jarrad Branthwaite’s injury

Branthwaite is in a race against time to make the World Cup squad, but his prospects aren’t looking great right now.

It’s said that the defender will not require surgery, but may be sidelined for up to two months, with the Blues already suggesting he won’t feature in the remaining five games of the season.

Perhaps some of the good news regarding the Englishman’s cruel blow is that it’s not in the same area of his hamstring that kept him out before.

A recurrence of the same issue would have been a big problem, though the fact it’s his hamstring once more is a concern in itself.

Branthwaite has only made 10 appearances this season, and will now likely miss the rest of Everton’s push for a spot in Europe for next season.

David Moyes hopes that the central defender will be back fully fit in time for pre-season, with his root injury issue eliminated.

What is David Moyes’ plan in the meantime?

The injury puts Moyes back to what feels like square one with his defensive options, as Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, and Michael Keane are his only centre-back choices.

That said, O’Brien is currently being utilised as a right-back, as the Friedkin Group failed to sign an addition in that area this winter.

Branthwaite was already injured for the whole of the first half of the season, where Moyes depended on Tarkowski and Keane.

The suggestions are that the Everton boss will put his faith in the former Burnley duo once more to help the Toffees over the line in their push for Europe.

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