James Garner's Fitness Doubt for Everton's Premier League Kick-Off

Everton’s pre-season plans have taken an early hit, with James Garner undergoing groin surgery that leaves his involvement on the opening weekend of the Premier League season in doubt.

The 23-year-old, one of Everton’s standout performers last term, saw the problem flagged in the first days of pre-season. He missed the opening friendly against Dundee as medical staff assessed the issue, and further investigations pushed the club towards the decision to operate.

The procedure has been completed and, crucially for Sean Dyche, the club say it went well. Garner has already started his rehabilitation at Finch Farm, with Everton setting a tentative target of having him back in first-team training around the first week of the season, dependent on how his recovery progresses.

In a statement, the club confirmed the midfielder “has begun his rehabilitation at Finch Farm and is progressing as expected, with a return to first-team training being targeted around the opening week of the Premier League season, subject to his continued recovery.”

It is a delicate moment for Everton’s midfield. Garner’s setback comes just as Idrissa Gueye’s departure was confirmed following the expiration of his contract this summer, stripping Dyche of experience and defensive nous in the centre of the pitch. The club are understood to be in the market for another midfielder, and this latest development only sharpens that need.

Garner was not the only notable absentee as Everton continued their warm-up schedule. He was among several missing faces for the friendly at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, a list that underlined how disrupted Dyche’s preparations have become.

Tyler Dibling sat out with what the club described as a “minor knock”, while Hayden Hackney, one of three summer signings, was also left out as he continues to be “integrated” into the squad after his move from Middlesbrough. Everton expect both Dibling and Hackney to feature in the friendly at Stoke City on Tuesday, a useful checkpoint for Dyche as he pieces together his options.

Garner’s situation is different. His timeline is tighter, the stakes higher. After emerging as a key figure for club and country over the past year, Everton’s midfield structure has increasingly been built with him in mind.

Now, as the season edges closer, Dyche must prepare for the possibility that one of his most reliable performers will only just be returning to full training when the campaign begins – or may have to watch those first few days of the new season from the sidelines.