David Moyes has provided a fitness update on three players ahead of Everton's fixture with Bournemouth and explained why one of his summer signings has yet to make his debut. Christian Norgaard joined the Blues from Arsenal on August 5 for an undisclosed fee, understood to be £7million, but the former Denmark international, who has made over 200 appearances in English football, is yet to turn out for his new club.
Norgaard's injury frustration
Appearing at the Men in Blazers event at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 17, the 32-year-old said: "How I have been received by the fans and my team-mates is incredible. It's about what happens out there (on the pitch) and I'm missing at the moment. That is a little bit frustrating. I have a small injury at the moment but soon, hopefully I'll be ready and I can't wait to get out there for the first time. We're hopefully close, I can't really put a time frame on it. I feel like we are getting very close, so not too long."
However, speaking in his pre-match press conference for Everton's trip to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, Moyes said: "Christian is still not making great progress at the moment. It's not something where we're probably going to get him back quickly, so we'll just need to see how that develops."
Hackney and Garner updates
Another new midfielder, Hayden Hackney, signed from Middlesbrough for £16.5million on July 2, made his Everton debut in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace but the Championship Player of the Season was not included in the squad for the 4-0 victory against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday. Moyes said: "Hayden Hackney rolled his ankle last Saturday, so that's why he didn't play midweek. It will be touch and go for Hayden I think."
Blues Player of the Season James Garner, who missed just six minutes of action in all competitions in 2025/26, came on as a substitute against the Eagles and then started in Hackney's place at Deepdale. Asked if the England international was now "fine," Moyes replied: "James Garner is not fine because he's not played any games in pre-season. If we hadn't had the injury to Hayden, we wouldn't have started him certainly in the game against Preston. But he's made a remarkably quick recovery from his hernia which is great. You don't see it very often that the player is pushing to get back quicker. Jimmy has done that. I think he did great in the game, but I still think he's off his levels at the moment. It's the minutes he needs in the games and these bits of the games that he'll hopefully soon pick up."
