A look ahead to how Everton could line up against Sean Dyche's Nottingham Forest at the weekend
David Moyes faces some big decisions for the clash with Nottingham Forest
David Moyes faces some big decisions for the clash with Nottingham Forest(Image: AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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Everton returned to winning ways with their first ever Premier League victory at Bournemouth on Tuesday. But David Moyes now faces a selection dilemma in central midfield for Saturday’s home match against Nottingham Forest.
The Scot’s predecessor as Blues boss, Sean Dyche – who was sacked after a 1-0 defeat at the Vitality Stadium in January left the team on just 17 points at the halfway stage of the 2024/25 season, returns to face his previous employers for the first time at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton’s options in the engine room are becoming ever more depleted though with Merlin Rohl out injured after a hernia operation and Tim Iroegbunam now serving a one-game ban for picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against the Cherries, in what will be the final fixture of Idrissa Gueye’s three-match suspension after being sent off for slapping team-mate Michael Keane in the 1-0 win at Manchester United.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looks set to continue in his deeper central midfield role, but there are question marks over who joins him.
James Garner would be the most natural fit given that’s his preferred position, but he was required at right-back against Bournemouth. One alternative is moving Charly Alcaraz back from the number 10 role he occupied on Tuesday.
But Moyes has previously suggested that Dwight McNeil – who has spent most of his career on the wing – could also go in there.
Garner could go back into the middle if Nathan Patterson comes into the side for his first game of the season at right-back.
The Scotland international was among the unused substitutes in Dorset having recovered from injury.
However, if Keane, who having started every previous game this season, missed the trip to Bournemouth, can recover to start at centre-back, O’Brien could always revert to right-back.
On the 32-year-old’s enforced absence, Moyes said: “He had a little bit of an injury going into the Newcastle game and played but unfortunately he couldn’t make this one, so we’ve had to make a change.
“We don’t know [how long he’ll be out]. We hope he might [recover] quite quickly.”
With Thierno Barry’s wait for a first goal continuing, Beto could always be recalled up front while with so many movable parts right now, there is also the chance of only a second Premier League start for Everton’s most expensive signing of the summer, Tyler Dibling in one of the attacking midfield slots.
The 19-year-old joined the Blues from Southampton for an undisclosed fee understood to be in the region of £35million but has played just 72 minutes of football in the competition so far this season.