Everton injury news ahead of Merseyside derby

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The first Merseyside derby of the 2025/26 season arrives with perfect timing for Arne Slot’s Liverpool, fresh from their dramatic Champions League heroics against Atletico Madrid.

Saturday’s 12:30 BST encounter at Anfield sees the Reds welcoming an Everton that have started the season strongly.

Liverpool enters the clash sitting pretty at the Premier League summit with a flawless record of four wins from four matches.

The Reds have demonstrated their championship credentials with a variety of performances, from grinding out narrow victories like the 1-0 triumph against Arsenal to thrilling spectacles such as their 4-2 demolition of Bournemouth.

Slot’s side have developed a remarkable knack for late drama this season, with Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid marking the fifth consecutive match where they’ve scored a decisive goal beyond the 83rd minute.

Virgil van Dijk’s towering 92nd-minute header epitomized this never-say-die attitude that has become Liverpool’s calling card so far this season.

The victory over Atletico also provided encouraging news regarding Alexander Isak, who made his long-awaited Liverpool debut after his record-breaking £125 million summer transfer from Newcastle.

The Swedish striker’s 57-minute display offered glimpses of his quality, though Slot was quick to manage expectations ahead of the derby?

“I was positively surprised by how fit he was during that 60 minutes,” Slot revealed in his post-match press conference.

However, he was clear about Isak’s involvement against Everton: “You can tell David that he is not going to play 90 on Saturday”.

Meanwhile, Everton do not have too many injuries to worry about with only two players in danger of missing the Merseyside derby:

Jarrad Branthwaite

The England defender remains sidelined with the hamstring injury that has kept him out since pre-season.

Moyes provided an update ahead of Everton’s match against Aston Villa last week, stating: “Jarrad is getting closer but he’s not quite there yet – but he’s certainly getting closer”.

The 23-year-old was initially expected to return by late September, but his recovery has taken longer than anticipated.

This marks the second consecutive season Branthwaite has missed the campaign’s opening weeks through injury, having suffered groin problems that delayed his involvement until November last season.

Michael Keane could deputise in his absence.

Vitalii Mykolenko

The Ukraine international has endured a frustrating injury-plagued start to the season

After initially missing the opening fixtures with an injury, Mykolenko returned against Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup and played the full 90 minutes in Everton’s 3-2 victory over Wolves.

However, his injury troubles resurfaced during the international break

He is not expected to feature at Anfield.

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