View: Moyes would be foolish to risk Everton star vs Chelsea as international break emerges key

David Moyes will have a call to make on whether to play James Tarkowski in Everton‘s game against Chelsea or not.

The Toffees were without their skipper against Arsenal, as his exclusion from the teamsheet at the Emirates Stadium came as a surprise to many Blues fans.

Jarrad Branthwaite was also absent from the 2-0 defeat, as Michael Keane and Jake O’Brien formed a centre-back pairing for the first time this season.

Moyes hopes to have Tarkowski fit to play in Everton’s game against Chelsea on Saturday, but with the international break looming, he mustn’t make a silly choice.

International break comes at perfect time for James Tarkowski

As highlighted by Sofascore, Tarkowski has been a consistent performer for the Toffees with an average league rating of 7.18.

The centre-back missed his first game of the season against Arsenal, and it’s clear to see why there has been a fuss around his injury scare.

Everton will host Chelsea on Saturday, as Moyes will be questioned on Tarkowski’s availability before the match in his pre-game press conference.

The Toffees boss admitted that Branthwaite would be available to play Arsenal in his press conference last time out, but that wasn’t the case.

Moyes could do the same with Tarkowski, but with a 21-day lay off from league action looming, it would be silly to risk the defender at such a crucial stage of the season.

Especially considering the time could be used for him to fully recover from whatever injury he does have.

David Moyes has another big dilemma vs Chelsea

Chelsea have just been beaten 8-2 over a two-legged tie against PSG in the Champions League, and look to be visiting Hill Dickinson Stadium while feeling down in the dumps.

This is something that the Toffees can capitalise on, as three points would be another major step towards qualifying for European football.

However, Moyes has not only a decision to make with Tarkowski, but also with Branthwaite. Though Chelsea is now emerging as a favourable matchup, rushing the key defenders back too soon could be detrimental.

Keane and O’Brien proved they are both capable of holding out against top-class opposition, and if in doubt, Moyes needs to go with the same centre-half pairing against Liam Rosenior’s side.

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