James Garner is pushing for his first Premier League start as he continues his fightback from a serious back injury.
The 22-year-old is desperate to make an impression for Everton after recovering from a stress fracture that ruled him out of the opening months of 2023. Before then his quest for match fitness and the form of Alex Iwobi, Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana had limited his initial opportunities to break through.
Now, under Sean Dyche, he is approaching full fitness and has a potential pathway into the starting line-up with one of the new manager’s favoured central midfielders, Abdoulaye Doucoure, currently suspended. Garner is confident he can “add value” to the team - and that his coaches know that.
