Jarrad Branthwaite injury: Will Everton defender be fit for Premier League season opener against Leeds United?

The Toffees are set to be without Jarrad Branthwaite for Monday’s Premier League opener at Leeds United after the defender suffered a fresh hamstring injury in training.

The 23-year-old, one of Everton’s most consistent performers over the past two seasons, had only recently recovered from a similar issue sustained in April against Southampton.

According to the Daily Mail, he has aggravated the same muscle and could miss up to six weeks.

Branthwaite’s absence leaves manager David Moyes with just a handful of defensive options.

James Tarkowski has only just returned from hamstring surgery and was not expected to be rushed back, leaving Michael Keane and Lewis O’Brien - primarily used as a right-back in pre-season - as the only fit centre-backs.

Left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko is also a doubt with a groin problem.

Speaking about his defensive depth earlier this summer, Moyes said: “We've got huge priorities as far as where we would like to try and buy the players if we could do.

“But also, we've got a numbers situation as well, we're short in numbers, so there's a bit of both.

“We're trying to get the pieces we really want first, and that's what we've been fighting to do. So hopefully we can, hopefully things will fall into place.

“But we're just beginning to think, my goodness, we're just not getting enough over the line.”