- Jarrad Branthwaite faces World Cup heartbreak after sustaining a serious injury.
- David Moyes confirms deep concern as the defender leaves the pitch crying.
- Thomas Tuchel will likely be unable to call on Branthwaite following the injury.
Everton and England defender Jarrad Branthwaite has been ruled out for the rest of the season and also the World Cup following the serious hamstring injury sustained during Sunday’s Merseyside derby.
The 23-year-old centre-back, who has been a standout performer for the Toffees since his return from long-term injury, was stretchered off in the 87th minute of the Toffees’ 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at the Hill Dickinson.
Visibly in tears as he left the pitch, Branthwaite appears to have suffered a recurrence of the same hamstring issue that saw him sidelined for the first five months of the season.
World Cup dream shattered for Toffees’ star
Reports suggest that while the tear isn’t as bad as first feared, it will still take a minimum of two months for recovery and rehabilitation, a period that will extend beyond the June kickoff in North America.
The news will come as a crushing blow for the player, whose recent good form had forced him back into the international conversation, with England not having a plentiful supply of centre-backs. England manager Thomas Tuchel was known to be an admirer.
“It is a devastating outcome for Jarrad,” said David Moyes after Sunday’s derby.
“He has worked tirelessly to return from surgery earlier this season and was, in my view, the best player on the pitch.”
Branthwaite had previously expressed his “dream” of representing England in this summer’s World Cup, having only returned to full fitness in late January after suffering an injury to the same hamstring in pre-season.
Focus shifts to Finch Farm recovery
His solitary cap for the senior team came as a substitute against Bosnia and Herzegovina back in June 2024, but his Premier League performances since his return in January, alongside Tuchel’s dearth of quality ball-playing central defenders, put him in a strong position to get a ticket for the plane to Dallas.
But now, instead of heading stateside, the defender will begin a specialised recovery program at Finch Farm with a view to being fully fit ahead of the 2026-27 season.
While the focus remains on his long-term fitness, Everton’s immediate priority for Everton will be navigating the final weeks of the Premier League season without their best defender as they continue their push for a European place.
