Everton will travel to Amex Stadium to face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday (24 February).
The Toffees are going through a sticky patch at the moment, and have not won a Premier League game since 16 December, which extends to a run of eight games.
Sean Dyche’s men are heading into this game on the back of a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park, and they need to come up with a better performance against an in-form side.
Ahead of the match, Dyche has confirmed that he has no fresh injury problems at the moment. Arnaut Danjuma (ankle), André Gomes (calf), and Dele (groin) are long-term absentees, and thus he has almost a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Vitalii Mykolenko picked up a minor knock in the previous game, but Dyche is hopeful that he can shake it off before Saturday’s 3 pm kick-off.
Everton picked up a memorable win against Brighton away from home last season, and they will be looking to repeat a similar sort of performance and result. In the previous game, everyone expected them to play more aggressively against Palace at home, but they were too timid.
It was only towards the end after they had conceded a goal, the Toffees played with more energy and intent. With Everton perilously close to relegation, and no one knowing the outcome of their appeal, they must come up with plans to get three points in every game.
Seamus Coleman was forced to miss Everton’s last game due to illness, but he has returned to training. The veteran should come into the side in place of Ben Godfrey. The 26-year-old is not a natural right-back, and he could be sacrificed here.
Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure are in contention to start as well. Onana scored from the bench in the previous game, and he should be ready to start now. Likewise, Jack Harrison could also come into the side in place of Ashley Young.
Dyche is likely to make three changes to the side from the previous game. Coleman, Onana, and Harrison are expected to start in place of Godfrey, Young, and Gueye.
Predicted Everton starting line-up: Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Onana, Garner, McNeil; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin.
In other news, Sean Dyche shares how Everton players are feeling now about the appeal verdict.
