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David Moyes speaks at his Everton press conference today<\/p>\nEverton manager David Moyes gave the injury latest ahead of his side’s trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in the Premier LeagueDavid Moyes speaks at his Everton press conference today<\/p>\n
Everton boss David Moyes has given a positive injury update on Jarrad Branthwaite and Merlin Rohl. Both have been sidelined since undergoing operations.<\/p>\n
England international centre-back Branthwaite<\/a> has yet to kick a ball this season after being troubled by a hamstring injury that forced him to have surgery in October.<\/p>\n Germany Under-21 international midfielder, Rohl<\/a>, meanwhile, went under the knife in November to correct a hernia issue.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Carlo Ancelotti and Vincent Kompany have already given their verdict on Everton-linked Brazil star<\/a>READ MORE: Tomasz Radzinski says Everton are one transfer away from delivering David Moyes’ ‘dream’<\/a><\/p>\n But both players are now ‘back on the grass’ with Rohl, who signed on a season-long from Freiburg in the summer, closest to a return.<\/p>\n Moyes, who is also without club captain Seamus Coleman<\/a>, said at his press conference: “Jarrad and Merlin are back on the grass and doing some work.<\/p>\n “Merlin is obviously much further on than Jarrad but they’re both back on the grass and hopefully we’re starting to see a chance to get them back soon. Obviously with the two boys going to the Africa Cup of Nations, getting Merlin back would be a big help.”<\/p>\n The boys the Everton<\/a> manager referred to are midfielders Idrissa Gueye<\/a> and Iliman Ndiaye<\/a>, who will link up with the Senegal squad after Saturday’s trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea.<\/p>\n Moyes admits the key duo’s departure gives the opportunity to the likes of Tim Iroegbunam<\/a>, who like Gueye returns from suspension this weekend, Dwight McNeil<\/a> and Carlos Alcaraz<\/a>, who has started Everton’s back-to-back wins over Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.<\/p>\n The Blues could would move into the top four with a long overdue victory at Chelsea and Moyes said when asked what he would have felt before the campaign to be in the position his in-form side are in now: “I would have said it was amazing.<\/p>\n “It was probably what I was dreaming and hoping but we were quite slow in the summer and we didn’t get things done as quickly as I would have liked. We were a little short when we went to America (on tour) and we weren’t looking quite as strong at that time. But credit to the people around the club who got us the players in and helped in.”<\/p>\n Moyes also confirmed that he would be looking to do business in the transfer window and has been given the blessing to do so by owners The Friedkin Group<\/a> and that Thierno Barry<\/a>‘s first goal since his \u00a327m summer switch from Villarreal, in the 3-0 win over Forest, has done wonders for his confidence.<\/p>\n Chelsea will be without the injured Levi Colwill, Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia on Saturday while Moises Caicedo and Mykhailo Mudryk are suspended, but Cole Palmer and Wesley Fofana should be fit.<\/p>\n