James Tarkowski continues to baffle Everton fans after his omission against Arsenal.
The Englishman has been pivotal to the Toffees solid form of late, with David Moyes's side now pushing for a late dash into the European places.
But it was Jake O'Brien who stepped in to replace Tarkowski last weekend, with the current status of the 33-year-old defender something of a mystery.
What is the latest on James Tarkowski's injury?
Tarkowski has missed just one Premier League game so far this term, the 2-0 loss to Arsenal, with Max Dowman stealing the headlines with his late effort.
But Moyes is yet to be asked about Tarkowski's injury issue, with another huge game against Chelsea on the horizon this weekend.
“I’ve not picked up on any significant concern around Tarkowski for example," said The Athletic's Patrick Boyland when asked about the defender.
“I’m aware of the rumours on Branthwaite, but I haven’t heard anything to suggest that the Branthwaite one right now is particularly bad either. It was obviously a massive blow late on (before the Arsenal game).”
Everton are currently eight points outside of the top four and will be hoping to add to Chelsea's recent woes with victory this weekend.
Moyes, who helped guide the Toffees away from relegation last term with an eventual 13th-placed finish, has since worked wonders in their first season at the Hill Dickinson.
In FourFourTwo's view, there may be a reason why Everton are keeping Tarkowski's injury quiet of late.
Jack Grealish's season-ending foot problem serves as a reminder how quickly things can go from bad to worse.
