Match Preview
Armando Broja is expected to be included in the squad for this one as Everton seek an answer to their goal drought
Everton gear up for another hugely important game under the lights at Goodison Park as they welcome fellow strugglers Wolves.
The Blues’ 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United on Sunday ensured that they come into this clash sitting just two points above the Midlanders who currently occupy the uppermost slot in the relegation zone.
Indeed, that sloppy defeat at Old Trafford, Everton’s sixth of the campaign so far, means that a four-point gap persists between the bottom six and mid-table comfort.
Sean Dyche may be able to call on Armando Broja at some stage for this one, however. A late decision was made at the weekend to withhold the on-loan forward from the matchday squad that travelled to Manchester as he didn’t feel quite ready but he is expected to be on the team sheet to face Wolves.
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Youssef Chermiti, meanwhile, is “training well and training hard” in the manager’s words but is “not ready yet” because he will need “an extended games programme” to get him up to full fitness.
Seamus Coleman, an unused substitute on Sunday, has had the benefit of a few more days and could be considered at right back along with Nathan Patterson, either as a replacement for Ashley Young in the side or to accommodate the 39-year-old switching to left-back where Vitalii Mykolenko has been struggling for form.
A knock to the knee that kept Michael Keane out of the squad to play United is expected to sideline him again but Dyche has no new injury concerns as he plots a way to get his under-performing team scoring again having now gone four matches without finding the net.
Beto started at the weekend and had a lively quarter-hour in the first half where he went close to opening the scoring with a shot that ultimately found the side-netting but the Portuguese striker otherwise struggled to make an impact.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin came off the bench and forced a reaction save from Andre Onana with a diving header off Patterson’s late cross and Dyche may feel that overall, the more experienced and reliable starter will be the one to go for.
Behind the striker, the manager is still searching for consistent answers to the problem of creating chances and it remains to be seen if he persists with Jesper Lindstrøm over Jack Harrison, Dwight McNeil in the nominal No 10 role and Abdoulaye Doucouré as a deeper lying central midfielder.
Wolves endured a similarly dreadful start to the season as Everton and picked up just two points from their first 27 available. However, seven points in November has lifted them off the foot of the table and indicated that they might have enough to eventually pull clear of the drop zone under Gary O’Neil.
In Matheus Cunha, they have a potentially lethal striker if they can generate chances for him while Jorgen Strand Larsen scored twice on his last outing, a 4-2 home defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
For Everton, it will be a case of focusing on the positive parts of the first half at Old Trafford where they were the better side for a period before mistakes condemned them to a heavy defeat.
If they can get amongst the visitors early, get the Goodison crowd involved and grab an early goal, they could establish a platform on which to start building a recovery in their form.
Kick-off: 7:30pm, Wednesday 4 December, 2024
Referee: Michael Salisbury
VAR: Darren England
Last Time: Everton 0 - 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Doucouré, Harrison, Ndiaye, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin
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