Monday night saw Everton handed a sobering reminder of just how poor they are in the grand scheme of the Premier League.
After all, Chelsea have not pulled up any trees this season, yet dismantled the Toffees with frightening ease.
Unsurprisingly, the fallout amongst Evertonians has been as spectacular as one might imagine, with some calling for Sean Dyche’s head and others already resigning themselves to relegation.
However, the real match that could decide the bottom three is due to take place this Sunday, as Nottingham Forest travel to Goodison Park.
Everton suffer injury scare ahead of Nottingham Forest match
Monday was a disaster in many ways, not least due to the plethora of injuries suffered in that 6-0 drilling.
It just felt like everything went wrong, and with Seamus Coleman brought off as a precaution at half time, Nathan Patterson and Jarrad Branthwaite would later follow suit, hobbling off the pitch.
The latter is inarguably the most worrying potential absentee of the bunch though, as comfortably one of Everton’s best players this season.
Well, we have finally received an update on his fitness, with the Liverpool ECHO delivering the worrying news: ‘Perhaps most-concerning for the Blues was the sight of Jarrad Branthwaite, their breakthrough star of the season, being forced off early in the second half at Stamford Bridge. Dyche said: “Jarrad we hope is minor, but we have to wait and see.”
‘Given that the 21-year-old has been a revelation at the back for Everton this term, missing just one Premier League game through suspension since coming into the side in the third game of the campaign, with his form earning him a maiden England call-up, any absence would be a devastating blow. If Branthwaite isn’t able to recover in time to face the East Midlanders then Michael Keane, who replaced him at Chelsea, looks set to take his place.’
How could Everton replace Jarrad Branthwaite?
Well, as that report states, both Godfrey and Keane are clearly in the frame to replace the £35k-a-week titan.
However, given everything they are set to lose in his absence, it could actually dictate a complete change in system. He is that important.
After all, whilst Godfrey boasts the speed and physicality to fill such a role, he is somewhat timid in the air and lacks the superb anticipation of Branthwaite.
Meanwhile, Keane has always struggled with the speed of the game and therefore has made some rather high-profile errors owing to his lack of urgency.
Pairing this with James Tarkowski, who has looked uncharacteristically out of sorts in the last few months, and this is a backline now ravaged of quality and confidence.
So, perhaps in an effort to afford the defenders some additional cover, Dyche might even revert to a five-at-the-back system, deploying all three of those aforementioned names.
This is not an inherently a negative move either, as this tactical setup can be as defensive as you want it to be. However, given the manager’s track record, we would expect it to be very defence-oriented.