Jarrad Branthwaite returns to the grass at Finch Farm | OneFootball

Jarrad Branthwaite's last appearance, against Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 19 April 2026

(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Jarrad Branthwaite showed signs of making good progress in recovery from his latest hamstring injury nightmare when he participated in various training drills and physical tests with other players returning to Finch Farm for the first day of pre-season training yesterday.

There is no doubt the club view Branthwaite as the bedrock of our future, which made last season's heartbreak all the more difficult to stomach. A devastating hamstring injury on the eve of the campaign kept him out until late January.

When he finally returned, he transformed the side, spearheading a brilliant run of form that dragged Everton into the European conversation. Yet, in typical Everton fashion, his cruel injury against Liverpool in the first derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium left the team bereft of its quiet and unassuming fulcrum, precipitating a horrendous collapse in form over the final seven matches of the season, leaving us to wonder what might have been as a golden opportunity slipped through our fingers.

But his resilience to ward off injuries remains a concern, with many voices claiming that his recent seasons show he cannot be relied upon to form part of a consistent core for the team going forward. Such injuries are problematic, and the path to full recovery is often long and arduous, with the risk that permanent damage has been done, or that some inherent vulnerability increases the likelihood for recurrence.

More's the pity considering how very diligent the club had been in bringing him back slowly and carefully from the first hamstring problem last season.... only for the latest problem to develop when the player overreached and slid onto the pitchside path, in obvious pain 3 months ago.

The crucial test will come in those seven pre-season friendlies, when we get to see just how much he is allowed to play as the team works up toward the new season.