Everton Talking Points: Garner, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Dibling

It was a relatively successful international break for Everton.

There appear to be no serious injuries, we’ve had players given game time to keep ticking over, and no players talking about potentially leaving the club, as we've seen in the past.

The international break can always be a worrying time for supporters, especially those who have little to no interest in England or other countries. Although there is undoubtedly pride in seeing Everton players proving themselves on the international stage, there's also the obvious worry about injuries. 

It's also an opportunity for players to put themselves in the shop window and prove to potential buyers that they are capable of playing at the highest level. 

With Premier League action now just around the corner, it's time to take a look at what's happened over the international break in terms of Everton. 

Vitalii Mykolenko suffered an injury during the international break with Ukraine, which led to him missing some of their games. The Everton left-back was then sent back to England to be assessed rather than being risked, allowing the Toffees to take a closer look at him. 

Taking aim at Ukraine, journalist Ihor Burbas has provided information on Mykolenko’s injury. 

“I have questions for the national team’s medical staff. From what I hear, the situation regarding Mykolenko does not look very professional. He had leg pain. But after an assessment, the medics said there was nothing serious and allowed him to train. 

“He went out for the session, after which the pain intensified. The player was then released to return to his club. At the club, an examination revealed that he should not have been training in that condition at all. He needed to take a break.” 

It's currently unclear whether Mykolenko’s injury will be enough to keep him out of the game against Hull, but if the information regarding Ukraine's treatment is true, the Toffees certainly won't be happy. 

First of all, both James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite coming through the international break seemingly without any injuries is a huge positive. The Everton duo were both dealing with injuries over the last few months, so when they got called up to the England squad, it would have been a worry for the club. 

Although neither Garner nor Branthwaite played a whole lot of minutes for England during the international break, their game time could have been ideal for Everton. Both players were given little runouts over the break to help keep them ticking over during the three weeks. 

They've also been training regularly, perhaps more regularly than they would have if they remained at Finch Farm, helping them gain their sharpness back and build their fitness. 

The duo will also have been training with some incredibly high-level players, so hopefully Everton will see the benefits, performance and fitness-wise, over the coming weeks. 

Tyler Dibling scored for England under-21s during their 3-1 defeat against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday evening. Dibling started the game for his country, scoring England's only goal in the first half. 

Now, although it was a relatively straightforward finish from the back post for Dibling, it could be a huge confidence boost to see him get on the score sheet. It's been an incredibly frustrating year or so for the young winger, and finding the back of the net and being rewarded for his patience will hopefully give him a boost. 

Dibling's last goal before that was a brace for Southampton back in January 2025, so it's certainly something that he's been missing of late.