West Ham United hosts Everton FC on Saturday in a matchup of two sides trying to reach/stay above crucial demarcation point in the table. It’s also a game featuring two teams with a very short injury list; especially so given the point of the season than we’re in. Let’s start with the Toffees, who may be tenth in the table, but still only one behind Brentford for Conference League qualification and one point behind Chelsea for a Europa League slot for next season. Unfortunately, they lost more than just the match on Sunday, in the Merseyside Derby. Jarrad Branthwaite, who had already missed a major chunk of the season due to hamstring injuries, suffered a fresh problem with the same body part.
West Ham United vs Everton FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. April 25, 2026, at 3pm London Stadium, UK
Google Result Probability: Everton 33% Draw 28% West Ham 39%
.PL Position, Form Guide: Everton 10th, 47 pts, WLWDL West Ham, 17th, 33 pts, WDLWD
Everton at West Ham Team News
The new hamstring problem is thought to be so severe that it will cost the central defender the entire season.
So Branthwaite now joins Jack Grealish in the Everton players out for the rest of the season category.
“Jarrad was probably the best player on the pitch,” manager David Moyes said in the immediate aftermath of the Merseyside Derby defeat. “I thought he played so well. I’m worried it could be serious, but we’ll have to wait and see. We’ve not had any results.”
According to multiple reports, Branthwaite will also be forced to miss out on the World Cup with England as well.
Shifting gears to Beto, he took a blow to the head on Sunday, but fortunately, it was not considered a concussion at the time. If the protocols confirm this during the week, he could be back for this match, depending on the severity of this injury. It is always scary to see head injuries, given how the brain might be at risk.
On the West Ham United side, no changes to the team news/injury situation. Lukasz Fabianski remains out, as the only absentee (long-term injury to the lower back).
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.