A look at the latest injury and availability news from the Everton and Arsenal camps ahead of Saturday night’s Premier League clash at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leaves the pitch with an injury during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on December 13, 2025(Image: Harry Murphy – Danehouse/Getty Images)It’s set to be a special night on Saturday when Everton welcome Arsenal to Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time. It was always going to be a big match.

The visit of the Premier League leaders in a 8pm kick-off in the Blues’ final home game before Christmas ticks all the boxes. But what supporters group the 1878s have in store makes it all the more exciting.

Everton have won four of their last six matches but they will need every fan to play their part to overcome an excellent Arsenal side who, while showing some signs of vulnerability of late, also top the Champions League standings.

And that’s especially so given how stretched David Moyes‘ squad could be for the showdown.

The Blues boss will definitely be without injured club captain Seamus Coleman, fellow defender Jarrad Branthwaite, and midfielder Merlin Rohl for the clash with the Gunners.

Moyes said of the trio at last Friday’s press conference to preview the following day’s battling 2-0 loss at Chelsea: “Jarrad and Merlin are back on the grass and doing some work.

“Merlin is obviously much further on than Jarrad but they’re both back on the grass and hopefully we’re starting to see a chance to get them back soon. Obviously with the two boys going to the Africa Cup of Nations, getting Merlin back would be a big help.”

The two boys being, of course, midfielders Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, who have now departed Merseyside to link up with the Senegal squad ahead of AFCON in Morocco.

The last thing Moyes needed then, particularly with Ndiaye absent, was to see Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall limp off against his former club Chelsea.

There has been no update yet on the in-form midfielder, who appeared to injure his hamstring, or fellow key man Jack Grealish, who the Everton manager said after the loss at Stamford Bridge had picked up a knock.

Moyes said: “Jack felt his hamstring so we just need to be careful with these boys.”

Moyes is set to give an update on Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall at his press conference on Friday to preview the visit of Arsenal, whose boss Mikel Arteta has injury concerns of his own.

The Spaniard, who thrived under Moyes during the Scot’s first spell in charge of the Blues, is one of the few Premier League managers not to be losing any players to AFCON.

But Arteta is set to be without six members of his first-team squad for the encounter with his former club.

Defenders Cristhian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Gabriel, a one-time Everton transfer target, are all out, as is striker Kai Havertz and 15-year-old rising star Max Dowman.

Worryingly for Evertonians of a certain disposition, long-term nemesis Gabriel Jesus is fully fit and played a big part in helping Arsenal to a late and unconvincing 2-1 win over Wolves at the Emirates last weekend.