Everton injury news: Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitaliy Mykolenko update delivered by David Moyes before Merseyside derby

Everton manager David Moyes has provided a fresh update on the fitness of Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko ahead of the 247th Merseyside derby away against Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

Branthwaite is regarded as a key central defender by Moyes, but he is yet to play for the Toffees this season due to a hamstring injury sustained in training last month.

Mykolenko, meanwhile, missed Everton’s opening two Premier League games with a groin problem before playing the full 90 minutes a in a 3-2 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of august.

However, the left-back returned to his native Ukraine last week with an unspecified issue and subsequently missed Everton’s goalless stalemate at home to Aston Villa.

“Hopefully, he might be OK. He felt something in the game against Wolves,” Moyes told reporters when questioned about Mykolenko last week.

“He felt he was fine to go with Ukraine and go with them, but once he got there, he felt it maybe wasn’t quite right, so he came away.”

Branthwaite, Mykolenko not ruled out entirely ahead of Merseyside derby

Moyes has since provided a reassuring update on both Mykolenko and Branthwaite ahead of Saturday’s trip to Anfield, while he has also confirmed that some unnamed players are dealing with “knocks”.

Speaking at Friday's pre-match press conference, Moyes said: "Look, [Branthwaite and Mykolenko] are making progress and we'll see (for Saturday). We've got a couple of other knocks within the camp, but we'll see how they are.

"We have a squad of players and you hope that the players who you give the opportunities [when there are injuries] that they can hang on to the jersey. I thought Michael [Keane] has done great for us in the games he's played and long may that continue."

It is thought that a start for Branthwaite against Liverpool is unlikely, so Keane is set to continue alongside James Tarkowski in an Everton defence that has kept three clean sheets in their last four competitive games.

If Mykolenko is not deemed fit to start, then James Garner is expected to retain his spot in a makeshift left-back role where he has impressed so far this season and even scored in a 2-0 home win over Brighton last month.

Everton travel to the red side of Merseyside having accumulated seven points from their opening four Premier League fixtures this season, but they have won just two of their last 29 PL Merseyside derbies against rivals Liverpool (D14 L13) and have failed to score in five of their last seven, including a narrow 1-0 away defeat in April.