Sean Dyche to make James Tarkowski decision after Everton injury update pre-Southampton

Sean Dyche has been presented with an opportunity to rest James Tarkowski after a new update on the Everton captain’s fitness.

The Liverpool Echo reported on 30 October that throughout the opening weeks of the season, Tarkowski has been playing through injury, after a back issue picked up against Southampton in the EFL Cup.

Despite also suffering a glute problem during the club’s pre-season training campaign in Ireland, Tarkowski has still started all nine of the Toffees’ Premier League games so far this campaign,

With Jarrad Branthwaite finally making his way back to full fitness, and a winnable league match against Southampton coming up, Sean Dyche has the perfect chance to give Tarkowski a deserved rest.

James Tarkowski remains one of first names on Everton teamsheet

Had Tarkowski properly succumbed to either of his early-season injuries at Goodison Park, the Toffees’ woeful start to the campaign would likely have been much, much worse than it was.

Although Michael Keane took much of the flak from pundits early on, Tarkowski and the rest of Dyche’s side were also woefully under-par as the Blues lost their four opening matches on the spin.

Since then, however, Tarkowski and Keane’s partnership at the back has blossomed, to the extent that a fit-again Branthwaite could find it difficult to make his way back into the starting side.

But with Tarkowski having to play his way through persistent injury worries throughout the campaign, and only new signing Jake O’Brien as cover, Branthwaite’s return does give Dyche the chance to rotate.

Exacting EFL Cup payback on the illness-affected Saints by pinning them to the bottom of the table is the perfect scenario for Branthwaite to make a second start of the season, and more than anyone, it’s Tarkowski who has earned the chance for a rest