After a miserable fortnight or so when little has gone their way, Everton return to league action away from their recent house of horrors at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Blues travel to Aston Villa who are going through a purple patch as they have climbed into third place, with a chance to go second. The Toffees inability to get a win at home against Brentford then bottom-of-the-league Wolves means they remain stuck in a crowded midtable.
David Moyes is still without Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye who play in the Africa Cup of Nations Final for Senegal against hosts Morocco on Sunday. There was the welcome sight of Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman back in training this week, but this game comes too soon for the pair. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carlos Alcaraz, and Timothy Iroegbunam are still out injured, while Michael Keane will serve the second game of his three-game suspension for his sending off against Wolves. Jack Grealish returns after his red card suspension, and it’s a return in more than one way as his career began at Villa.
Unai Emery will have Evann Guessand back from AFCON, with goalie Emiliano Martinez and forward Boubacar Kamara facing late fitness tests. Two former Blues Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are both doubtful recovering from injuries.
Who’s Out?
Seamus Coleman (hamstring), Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (hamstring), Carlos Alcaraz (unknown), Timothy Ireogbunam (groin) all injured. Michael Keane is suspended. Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye are at AFCON.
Everton squad available vs Villa
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Travers, King
Defenders: Keane (SUSPENDED), Branthwaite (INJURED), Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Coleman (INJURED), Patterson, Aznou
Midfielders: Gueye (AFCON), Garner, Iroegbunam (INJURED), Dewsbury-Hall (INJURED), Röhl, Armstrong
Wingers: McNeil, Ndiaye (AFCON), Grealish, Dibling, Alcaraz (INJURED)
Strikers: Beto, Barry
Tactics and Formation
Everton will likely stick to the 4-2-3-1 they’ve used so far, with the 4-4-2 only deployed in case of emergency.
Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)
Jordan Pickford – 9/10
Vitaliy Mykolenko – 8/10
Jake O’Brien – 8/10
James Tarkowski – 8/10
Nathan Patterson – 5/10
James Garner – 9/10
Harrison Armstrong – 7/10
Jack Grealish – 8/10 The Blues will need his creative input
Merlin Rohl – 6/10 The midfielder hasn’t impressed, but the Blues are desperately short of bodies. Could rotate with Armstrong
Dwight McNeil – 6/10 Not much better than Dibling is he?
Thierno Barry – 8/10
Bench
Mark Travers
Tom King
Adam Aznou
Tyler Dibling – The winger has been very lackadaisical in his appearances so far
Beto
Reece Welch – Got a few minutes late in the Sunderland game
Elijah Campbell – Made his first team debut coming on in the FA Cup loss for Mykolenko
Braiden Graham
