The 23-year-old played for most of Albania’s win over Andorra, earning important minutes as he works towards full match fitness
Armando Broja took a major step towards competing for a place in Everton’s starting line-up on Monday.
The striker, who suffered an agonising injury in the final game before David Moyes returned to the club, played his first minutes under the 61-year-old when he came off the bench in the last match before the international break.
His selection for Albania this month raised eyebrows given his lack of football and how early he was in his comeback. But it now looks as though it may have given Everton a boost with the 23-year-old earning crucial minutes as he fights for match fitness.
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Broja started Albania’s win over Andorra on Monday night, grabbing an assist as he clocked 75 minutes in the World Cup qualifier. It was the longest period he had spent on the pitch this season and followed a late cameo against England on Friday.
With just over a week until Everton return to action, the hope at Finch Farm will be that he can continue to build his strength when he returns to Merseyside and push Beto and Youssef Chermiti as Moyes – for the first time since Dominic Calvert-Lewin was injured just weeks after he was appointed in January – will have competition among forwards.
Like Broja, Chermiti played under Moyes for the first time earlier this month, when the pair were part of a late triple substitution that helped Everton force a stoppage time equaliser through Jake O’Brien.
Broja had arrived with an achilles injury when he was signed on loan from Chelsea at the end of the summer transfer window. That kept him out until December, when he made a promising debut off the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Further positive displays followed and he started the defeat to Bournemouth that proved to be Sean Dyche’s final game in charge.
He was taken off injured in that game then returned off the bench for the FA Cup match with Peterborough United, overseen by Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman, only to be stretchered off with ankle ligament damage.
Moyes considered sending him back to Chelsea in January but, with a lack of alternative forward options available and with Broja pushing towards recovering ahead of time, decided to gamble on his return,
Everton have the option to make the move permanent in the summer for a fee of around £30m.
