It’s been a topsy turvy few weeks for Everton (you could also say months or years, actually) and with our league form now in decline, the Blues get some respite in the cup.
It’s far from an easy FA Cup Third Round tie though, with an away trip to fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace to deal with.
So how will Sean Dyche line up his Mighty Blues of Everton?
Who’s Out?
Not much change on the injury front.
Ashley Young and Idrissa Gueye remain out. Aboulaye Doucoure is back in training and is touch and go, but is probably unlikely to start.
Dele is the only long-term absentee.
EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS PALACE
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Virginia, Lonergan,
Defenders: Keane, Godfrey, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Coleman, Patterson, Young (INJURED)
Midfielders: Doucoure (DOUBT), Onana, Gueye (INJURED), Garner, Onyango, Gomes, Dele (INJURED)
Wingers: McNeil, Danjuma, Dobbin, Harrison
Attackers: Calvert-Lewin, Beto, Chermiti
Tactics and Formation
Quite a few questions heading into this one.
For starters, will it be a back four or five? Surely, four. The Michael Keane experiment needs to end. The results have been pretty conclusive.
Seamus Coleman was on the bench against Manchester City and I’d wager him to get a second start of the season here. Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski at the back, please with Vitaliy Mykolenko at left back.
Amadou Onana and James Garner will start, with Andre Gomes most likely just in front of them while Doucoure might be on the bench, as it seems a needless risk to force him back early.
If Everton want to keep Arnaut Danjuma for the rest of the season, this would seem like a good time to bring him in for a rare start – with Dwight McNeil or Jack Harrison given a rest.
Up front, it’s a coin-toss between Beto and DCL, with the latter slight favourite despite his indifferent form.
Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)
Jordan Pickford – 9/10
Seamus Coleman – 7/10
James Tarkowski – 9/10
Jarrad Branthwaite – 9/10
Vitaliy Mykolenko – 9/10
Andre Gomes – 6/10
Amadou Onana – 8/10
James Garner – 8/10
Arnaut Danjuma – 6/10
Dwight McNeil – 7/10
Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 6/10
Bench
Joao Virginia
Michael Keane
Ben Godfrey
Nathan Patterson
Abdoulaye Doucoure
Jack Harrison
Lewin Dobbin
Beto
Youssef Chermiti
