IDRISSA GANA GUEYE RETURNS: EVERTON BOOST BEFORE CHELSEA; BRANTHWAITE UPDATE
Everton gets a major boost as midfielders Idrissa Gana Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam return from suspension for the Chelsea match. Gueye will soon depart for AFCON duty.
Here's the latest from Everton as they prepare to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their next Premier League game.
Manager David Moyes gave an update on Jarrad Branthwaite, saying the defender is recovering well from his hamstring injury.
Branthwaite, a key player in the centre-back position, hasn't played this season. He was hurt just before the season started and had surgery in October.
Michael Keane has been playing well in his place; Moyes is eager to have Branthwaite back at total strength. Although Branthwaite won’t be ready for Saturday’s game against Chelsea and still needs a few weeks to get back in shape, he is back training on the field. Merlin Rohl, who joined the team this summer, is also recovering well after hernia surgery last month.
Moyes mentioned in his press conference before the game, “Jarrad and Merlin are back outside, doing some drills. Merlin is further along in his recovery than Jarrad, but both are training on the field. We’re hoping to see them back soon.”
Everton is heading to Chelsea with a good record, winning four of their last five matches, including a solid 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest. They're currently seventh in the Premier League.
Good news for the Toffees, as midfielders Idrissa Gana Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam will be available again for the Chelsea game. Gueye was suspended for the last three games, and Iroegbunam was out against Forest due to suspension.
However, Gueye’s return will be short. He and Iliman Ndiaye will be joining the Senegal team.
Moyes added, We fully respect the Africa Cup of Nations. The players will be playing for their countries in the tournament, as they should. It's fantastic that they've been chosen to represent their country, and we hope they play well.
Of course, no manager wants to lose players to international duty, but we have them for this weekend, and then we'll wish them the best.
It seems Seamus Coleman (hamstring) will be the only player unavailable for Moyes against Chelsea.
SUNDERLAND CONDEMNS "VILE" RACIST ABUSE AIMED AT BRIAN BROBBEY AFTER SPURS WIN
Brian Brobbey targeted online! Sunderland and the Premier League unite against "vile" discrimination after Spurs win.
Sunderland called out the racist abuse aimed at Brian Brobbey on social media and made it clear they stand fully behind him.
Brobbey was targeted online right after Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. On Monday, the club released a statement: “Sunderland condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist abuse directed at Brian Brobbey on social media following Sunday’s fixture against Tottenham. We stand firmly with Brian and offer him our full and unwavering support.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Sunderland players have had to deal with this kind of abuse this season. After February’s match against Fulham, Romaine Mundle received hateful messages online, and last month the Tyne-Wear derby had to be paused when someone in the crowd reportedly aimed abuse at Lutsharel Geertruida.
The club’s statement continued: “This isn’t an isolated event. The recent abuse aimed at Romaine Mundle and Lutsharel Geertruida shows just how often and how unacceptably this keeps happening, both at matches and on the internet. We’ve reported this latest incident to the Premier League, the social media platforms, and the police, and we expect them to act quickly against the people responsible. Racism is vile, and it doesn’t belong in football or anywhere else. We’ll keep calling it out, clearly and without hesitation, every time it happens. Football should be safe and welcoming for everyone, no exceptions.”
The Premier League is backing Brobbey as well. In a post on their X account, they said they’re “disgusted by the ongoing discrimination” players keep facing online. “We stand alongside Sunderland in strongly condemning the online racist abuse Brian Brobbey has received and have offered our full support to him and the club. We are disgusted by the ongoing discrimination players are facing on social media and are committed to working with clubs, authorities, law enforcement, and social media companies to address this issue, as well as supporting investigations to bring those responsible to justice.
Anyone found guilty of discrimination will face the toughest possible punishments: jail time, football bans, and even a criminal record.”
DAVID MOYES REVEALS "NERVES" AS EVERTON HUNT HISTORIC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION SPOT
David Moyes admits Everton's Champions League hunt is nerve-wracking. See the latest on the Toffees' battle for Europe.
David Moyes admits the idea of Everton making the Champions League this soon in their rebuild actually makes him “shake a wee bit.”
You look at the club now, and it's hard to believe where they were just 14 months ago. When Moyes returned, Everton looked beaten down from years of fighting to stay up. Suddenly, with only seven games left, they’re sitting eighth. That spot could mean Europa Conference League football, but after their win against Chelsea before the break, they’re now just three points off fourth. It’s wild to even talk about the Champions League, but it’s right there in reach.
Reporters put the question to him how does it feel to be this close? With Europe’s spots possibly extending down to fifth (or maybe even further, depending on how other English clubs do), Moyes wasn’t hiding his nerves: “It’s probably the best shot we’ve had in a long time. But when I hear ‘Champions League’? Makes me shake a wee bit, honestly. I’ve been lucky to manage in Europe’s other competitions lately, and if we do make it, I’m sure we’d be able to hold our own at certain stages. Still, the Champions League is just on another level.”
Everton’s next match at Brentford looks huge for their European dreams. Brentford beat them earlier in the season, and right now, both teams are level, separated only by goal difference.
Moyes is clearly enjoying this chapter. “Listen, Europe’s Europe. If someone had said at the start, ‘You’re going to get European football,’ we’d have snapped their hand off. It could be the tiddlywinks European cup, and we’d be up for it. Evertonians want the club back in those conversations. We’re getting attention for the new stadium, we’ve got a couple of England internationals getting noticed more, it’s a good time. If we do sneak into the Champions League, it’d be an unbelievable achievement. But honestly, no matter which competition we make, it’s still a big step forward for us.”
