An examination of the changes to the starting 11 that Everton manager David Moyes could make for the trip to Chelsea on Saturday
Central midfield pair Idrissa Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam both return from their suspensions for Everton’s trip to Chelsea next Saturday. But each face a battle to get back in the starting line-up following the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Gueye has been sidelined for the last three matches after being sent off for slapping team-mate Michael Keane in the 1-0 victory at Manchester United while Iroegbunam had to sit out Sean Dyche’s Blues return after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season in the 1-0 success at Bournemouth last Tuesday.
Gueye, who has started 12 games this season, scoring twice, and whose Everton career totals 223 matches, would, on face value, have the greater chance out of the two of getting back into the side.
Iroegbunam has made seven starts this term and has turned out 34 times for the Blues.
If either of them were to be restored to David Moyes’ starting line-up then you would imagine that Charly Alcaraz would be most at risk with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has nevertheless excelled in a deeper central midfield position in recent weeks, moving further forwards to the number 10 role where he has spent the bulk of the campaign to date.
Another alternative to accommodate Gueye and/or Iroegbunam would be to move James Garner from central midfield to right-back at the expense of Jake O’Brien.
The Republic of Ireland international has had most of his first team outings at right-back since brought into the side by Moyes in January, but produced one of his most impressive displays of the season in his natural centre-back role when Everton won 1-0 at Bournemouth.
Michael Keane missed his first game of the season at the Vitality Stadium through injury but was restored to the heart of defence against Nottingham Forest as the hosts kept a fourth clean sheet in five matches so you wouldn’t expect the manager to break up his partnership with James Tarkowski.
One player who has been warned that his place is not secure, despite a major breakthrough moment of scoring his first Everton goal, is Thierno Barry.
The French striker finally broke his duck at the 17th time of asking against Nottingham Forest but Moyes said: “He’ll not be able to play another six games and only score one goal. He’s been given the opportunity, but I have to actually say that Beto’s beginning to show more in what he’s doing and just beginning to look as if [he is improving].
“It was just getting into January when he hit really good form when I came in, I think. So Barry will need to keep playing well if he’s going to stay, or we will put him [Beto] in.
“In the opening games of the season we were happy to change them round after 60 minutes or swap them over because we were needing one of them to score.
“As it was, neither of them were scoring, at the time, so the choice was to give Thierno a run in the team and get him used to the Premier League.
“We’re really hoping that Beto comes back into form as well because we need the goals from both of them.”