Everton club captain will not make Germany trip

Unable to feature in a preseason match yet due to a hamstring issue, Phil Jagielka will also not make the trip to Germany for the matches with Dynamo Dresden and Real Betis or Werder Bremen. The quick turn around between games will require manager Ronald Koeman to bring a large squad and plenty of young players.

There is little indication when Koeman expects to have Jagielka ready, and with matches against Manchester United on August 3rd and Espanyol just three days later, it is unclear if he will be involved in either of those games.

The start of the season is obviously the mark for when Koeman wants Jagielka ready to go. That date is not far away now though and any setback could stop that. This raises the question of how many defenders Koeman needs on this squad. Jagielka has become an injury concern over the past season and counting on him to be healthy all season would be a poor decision.

With the potential exit of John Stones and even outside interest in Ramiro Funes Mori, Koeman is under pressure to make a strong defence by adding from both outside the club as well as promoting youth from inside the club. Matthew Pennington, Brendan Galloway and Mason Holgate have all seen time at centerback during this preseason, but none of the three has shown enough to win a starting XI position for the upcoming Premier League season.