Tim Iroegbunam has finally returned to first-team training after an absence that extends back to last October when he suffered a foot injury.
He is nearing a return to action and joined the senior squad for drills at the club’s Finch Farm training ground this week.
The 21-year-old did well get through the gruelling pre-season training region devised by former manager, Sean Dyche. He started the first four Premier League games of the season, but was limited to appearances from the subs bench in three of the next four games before his availability was progressively undermined by injuries in September and early October.
Iroegbunam was finally diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot that has kept him sidelined for the past 3 months, with this weekend’s trip to Brighton being the 15th Premier League game he has missed.
James Garner was hit with a back injury around the same time and he too is approaching a return to the first-team squad. Garner returned to training last week and David Moyes said the midfielder could be given playing time with the U21s before rejoining with the first-team squad for matchday preparations.
Another midfielder returning from long-term injury is Everton Academy product Stan Mills. The 21-year-old scored on his return to action for Everton U21s last Friday, his first game after just over a year out with a bad knee injury sustained on loan with Oxford United last January.
Mills has shown some impressive skills and the next test for him will be to impress David Moyes sufficiently to earn a chance to show what he can do in the first team, assuming he does not go out on loan again for the rest of the season.