Overview
- Everton confirmed on Saturday that James Garner has had successful groin surgery and has begun rehabilitation at Finch Farm with a club-targeted return to first-team training around the opening week of the Premier League season.
- Media reports put the expected absence at roughly a month, which makes Garner doubtful for Everton’s season opener against Crystal Palace on August 22.
- Garner was Everton’s Men’s Player of the Season and signed a four-and-a-half-year contract in January 2026, so the club is managing his recovery carefully to protect a key long-term asset.
- The injury comes after Idrissa Gana Gueye left when his contract expired and Everton have already signed Hayden Hackney and made Merlin Rohl’s loan permanent, but the squad is still understood to be seeking a more defensive-minded midfielder.
- Look for Everton to prioritise signings that provide immediate defensive cover and to adjust pre-season selections and tactics while monitoring Garner’s week-to-week progress toward first-team training.