Jarrad Branthwaite ruled out for rest of the season as crushing Everton injury blow emerges

Jarrad Branthwaite suffered a significant hamstring injury when he was substituted in the closing stages of Everton's Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.

The Toffees were beaten 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, after Virgil van Dijk scored deep in the 10th minute of stoppage time.

Mohamed Salah had put the Reds ahead in the first half before Beto slid in to score the equaliser after the break.

Branthwaite was stretchered off in the final minutes of normal time, prompting huge concern among the medical staff at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The Everton defender's injury issues have been frequent this season, with Sunday's game just his 10th Premier League appearance of the season.

Jarrad Branthwaite to miss Everton's final games

Branthwaite only returned from injury in January, after spending the entire season before then on the sidelines.

The defender has been a key part of Everton's team in recent years, and had even attracted £50million interest from Manchester United.

But his latest injury issue will be of serious concern, with the 23-year-old set to miss the rest of the Toffees' season.

Everton insider, the Bobble, confirmed on Tuesday that it was Branthwaite's hamstring which was significantly injured again on Sunday.

He will be missing for Everton's remaining five games, with further assessments to be made by a specialist before determining if surgery is required.

Michael Keane has covered for Branthwaite throughout the season, and the Englishman will likely step back into defence alongside James Tarkowski.

What David Moyes said after Branthwaite's injury

Branthwaite had been relishing a superb performance against Liverpool on Sunday, winning four tackles and all but one of the seven duels he contested.

It was the type of performance Everton fans have come to expect from the defender, and a sign that he was well and truly back to his pre-injury best.

But the way he fell and stayed down brought an end to all of that, with the joy replaced by serious concern.

It is no surprise that Everton conceded after he had gone off, and the 23-year-old's injury is a substantial blow to David Moyes' hopes of leading a special charge to Europe.

“Jarrad was probably the best player on the pitch," he told evertontv. "I thought he played so well. I’m worried it could be serious, but we’ll have to wait and see.”