Everton had another excellent away win midweek at AFC Bournemouth, their first ever at the Vitality Stadium in the league. However, that game also created another issue for David Moyes to deal with – while no other players got injured in the victory, Tim Iroegbunam did pick up a booking which makes it five for the midfielder and he will not be suspended for tomorrow’s visit by Nottingham Forest.
With Idrissa Gueye out serving the third of his three-game suspension and Michael Keane likely not fit
yet to resume in the middle of the defence, Moyes finds himself desperately short of warm bodies. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had a Man of the Match-worthy performance playing deeper than his usual #8/#10 role, but James Garner might have to be pushed back into right back duty if Jake O’Brien is slotting in for Keane and Seamus Coleman remains out. Nathan Patterson was on the subs bench on Tuesday night, and he could get a rare start.
Visiting manager Sean Dyche has a shopping list of injured players too, but Forest do have a much larger squad too. He will have seven players definitely out – Ola Aina, Angus Gunn, Chris Wood, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Taiwo Awoniyi, Dilene Bakwa, and Douglas Luiz – while key players Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White face late fitness tests for hamstring/illness and back injuries respectively.
Who’s Out?
Seamus Coleman (hamstring), Merlin Röhl (hernia), and Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring) are confirmed out. Idrissa Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam are suspended, and Michael Keane is doubtful.
Everton squad available vs Nottingham Forest
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Travers, King
Defenders: Keane (DOUBT), Branthwaite (INJURED), Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Coleman (INJURED), Patterson, Aznou
Midfielders: Gueye (SUSPENDED), Garner, Iroegbunam (SUSPENDED), Dewsbury-Hall, Röhl (INJURED)
Wingers: McNeil, Ndiaye, Grealish, Dibling, Alcaraz
Strikers: Beto, Barry
Tactics and Formation
Everton will likely stick to the 4-2-3-1 they’ve used so far.
Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)
Jordan Pickford – 9/10
Vitaliy Mykolenko – 8/10
Jake O’Brien – 8/10 O’Brien will definitely play, just a matter of whether at right back or centre half
James Tarkowski – 8/10
Nathan Patterson – 5/10 Patto could get the start, but if he gets mauled early might get pulled off too
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 10/10 KDH is the Blues’ most in-form player right now
James Garner – 9/10 Again, he could be at right back, he could be in the middle, depends where he’s needed most
Jack Grealish – 8/10
Carlos Alcaraz – 8/10 Decent showing in his Tuesday start. Expect him to get more time on the ball against Forest
Iliman Ndiaye – 9/10 Strangely quiet (especially in the first half) on Tuesday, he’s due a goal or two
Thierno Barry – 7/10 The striker is getting closer and closer (and closer and closer) to his first Everton goal [He’s hit the woodwork, had goalline clearances, skied them from a couple of yards out, had VAR rule a couple out for marginal offside and handball.. what else is left to do but score?]
Bench
Mark Travers
Tom King – When was a third goalie ever needed?
Adam Aznou
Dwight McNeil – Being linked with a January move to Wolves.
Tyler Dibling
Beto
Under-21 Player 1 (Centre half Reece Welch last two games)
Under-21 Player 2 (Centre half Elijah Campbell last two games)
Under-21 Player 3 (Expect a fullback or midfielder here)
