Armando Broja during an Everton training session at Finch Farm on November 5, 2024(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC)

Armando Broja hands Everton injury boost and four other things spotted at training

by · Liverpool Echo

FIve things spotted from the latest batch of Everton training photographs

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On-loan striker Armando Broja has been pictured training alongside his Everton team-mates in a session at the club’s Finch Farm complex in Halewood ahead of Saturday's trip to West Ham United. The Slough-born Albania international joined the Blues in a late deal on transfer deadline day on August 30 from Chelsea with an option to make the move permanent.

Broja has made 38 appearances for Chelsea, scoring three goals, and has had previous loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem (34 games, 11 goals in 2020/21), Southampton (38 games, nine goals in 2021/22) and Fulham (eight games, zero goals in the second half of 2023/24).

However, he hasn’t made a competitive appearance since a 31-minute cameo off the bench for his country in their 1-0 defeat to eventual tournament winners Spain in Albania’s final group match of the European Championship at Dusseldorf on June 24.

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The 23-year-old has been sidelined with a knee injury but he is now stepping up his comeback and was photographed playing alongside his Everton first-team colleagues in a training game on Tuesday.

Broja was shown alongside centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, Nathan Patterson and club captain Seamus Coleman, while another shot shows Vitalii Mykolenko doing some enthusiastic man-marking by tugging his bib in a light-hearted manner.

Speaking in his last pre-match press conference ahead of Everton’s 1-0 defeat at Southampton last Saturday, Blues boss Sean Dyche said of Broja: “Yeah, he’s back, he’s working hard, his stats are good, but he’s still with the Sports Science team. The crossover will start to occur maybe even next week, where he’ll just start with the light stuff with us, join warm-ups and possession games, and then build into a kind of journey back to playing.”

  • Here are a selection of images courtesy of the Everton Official Library from SmartFrame.
  1. On-loan striker Armando Broja alongside Seamus Coleman (left), Nathan Patterson (centre) and Vitalii Mykolenko (right)
    1 of 5
  2. Jarrad Branthwaite also has a word with Armando Broja as the centre-back targets a return to the starting line-up at the London Stadium
    2 of 5(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC)
  3. Jesper Lindstrom in playful mood as Jack Harrison, who has been vying with him for a place on the right wing all season, poses for the camera
    3 of 5(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC)
  4. Beto, who was emotional after both his last minute equaliser against Fulham and disallowed goal at Southampton, still looks to be in a serious mood
    4 of 5(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC)
  5. But full-back pair Vitalii Mykolenko and Ashley Young share a joke
    5 of 5(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC)