The Everton first team squad jetted out to Portugal and the Algarve region, over the weekend following their 2-0 victory against Burnley.
This trip is intended as a “reset” for the squad during an 11-day gap between Premier League fixtures, reflecting the disappointing fact that the team is no longer competing in this season’s FA Cup after their meek exit to Sunderland, who were just dispatched by the mighty Port Vale.
The team is reportedly using the Quinta do Lago resort, a familiar spot they previously visited under Sean Dyche in 2024. This comes after the club originally considered a return to Abu Dhabi (where they went last year), but management decided on Southern Europe instead due to unprecedented Israeli and US attacks on Iran causing havoc across the Middle East.
This is David Moyes’s first mid-season break with the team since his return last January. He reportedly wanted the sunnier climate to help the players recover and prepare for a tough final run of nine games in the Premier League that could optimistically see the club competing on the European stage after a break of .
However, it is understood that Jarrad Branthwaite did not travel with the main group; he stayed behind on Merseyside instead to focus on an individualized rehabilitation and workload program to ensure he’s fit as the season enters it’s final quarter with a slew of games against sides in the top half of the Premier League table, where the Blues currently sit in 8th place.