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Everton vs Chelsea team news ahead of the Premier League fixture at Goodison Park.
Everton will be hopeful Dwight McNeil can be fit to face Chelsea this afternoon.
The forward has been a key player for the Toffees this season, recording four goals and three assists. But McNeil was absent for last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Arsenal because of an ongoing knee issue. The former Burnley man was not spotted in training earlier this week and Everton manager Sean Dyche admitted McNeil was ‘touch and go’ to face Chelsea at Goodison Park.
The Blues, playing their first game since The Friedkin Group’s takeover, will definitely be without three players. James Garner (back) and Tim Iroegbunam (foot) have been absent for around three months respectively and are still not in training.
Meanwhile, Armando Broja will have to watch the game from the Goodison stands. The striker is on a season-long loan from Chelsea and therefore ineligible to face his parent club. Broja has only recently recovered from an Achilles injury.
The visitors, who are second in the table, are awaiting whether Romeo Lavia can be involved. The midfielder has been nursing a hamstring issue and missed the previous three games. Chelsea are set to be missing Marc Cucurella, with the left-back serving a suspension for a red card in a 2-1 win over Brentford last time out. Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Omari Kellyman are all injured. Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk is serving a provisional suspension after failing a drugs test.
On the challenge of facing Chelsea and head coach Enzo Maresca, Everton boss Dyche said: “The manager’s done a great job this season so far. He’s created a team atmosphere and a dynamic which is working well for them.
“We know they spent so much money over the years, but you’ve still got to combine it. There’s no exact shortcut.”
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