Everton head coach David Moyes has admitted he would not have chosen James Garner for the Premier League opening match against Crystal Palace if alternative selections had been available.
Garner, who picked up Everton’s Player of the Year accolade last season, underwent a minor surgical procedure on a groin problem during June. Despite this, he was a surprise addition to the matchday squad for the encounter with Palace and entered the fray as a substitute during the 2-0 victory, courtesy of strikes from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry.
The midfielder is not anticipated to be capable of starting Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Preston North End.
Moyes disclosed that Garner’s inclusion stemmed from a lack of alternatives in central midfield, with Christian Norgaard and Tim Iroegbunam also managing injury concerns. The Scot was forced to blood 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong and hand a top-flight debut to Hayden Hackney, with both impressing during a comfortable success following Dewsbury-Hall’s close-range finish just before the interval. Palace had managed three promising opportunities during the goalless phase but offered little threat after falling behind.
When questioned about Garner’s capacity for an extended involvement, Moyes explained that the player would not have been included among the substitutes had other choices existed. He noted that the club attempted to extract around 15 to 20 minutes from the England international, who has neither featured in competitive matches nor completed pre-season training. However, the injury situation left the manager with no viable alternatives, and Moyes acknowledged that had the contest developed differently, he might have required more from the midfielder. He confirmed that Garner remains unprepared for a full appearance.
Norgaard is sidelined with an unnamed problem, while Iroeggunam is recovering from an adductor complaint that temporarily stalled negotiations regarding a potential switch to Hull City. The injury is not considered severe, with optimism that he will resume complete training prior to the transfer window closing.
Moyes must determine whether to shuffle his selection for the Deepdale fixture against his former club Preston, where players such as Jake O’Brien and Tyler Dibling are contenders for starting roles after remaining unused substitutes on Saturday. Beto and Carlos Alcaraz, introduced from the bench against Palace, found the net during last season’s second-round Carabao Cup tie and remain viable options. Additionally, newly-arrived forward Brennan Johnson could utilise the match to settle into the squad.
Preston have suffered defeats in each of their opening two Championship fixtures. The club arranged the second-round meeting with Everton by overcoming Huddersfield Town via a penalty shootout, with that contest staged at Goodison Park while Preston’s Deepdale surface underwent re-laying.