David Moyes sharpens his squad in Germany as new signings integrate and injury concerns linger.
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Everton’s pre-season preparations continue this week as they remain in Germany to face Stuttgart at the MHP Arena on Saturday.
It’s Everton’s second game of their trip to Germany after defeating Hamburger SV last weekend.
The Toffees’ pre-season is now ramping up, with the games getting tough as we head towards the return of Premier League action.
Everton face Stuttgart this weekend before facing Newcastle in Scotland. They then complete their pre-season campaign with a game against Lille at home the week before the return of the Premier League.
These final three games might be where we start to see David Moyes picking a similar side to the opening game of the season.
Everton's right-back situation still hasn't been resolved, and it remains to be seen whether they will get one in before the 22nd of August.
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James Garner remains out injured for Everton after undergoing surgery last month. It remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to face Crystal Palace, but it certainly appears unlikely due to his lack of minutes in pre-season.
Jarrad Branthwaite continued his recovery with minutes against Hamburg last time out, and he looks set to be given another opportunity this weekend.
It'll be interesting to see whether Christian Norgaard is involved after signing for the Toffees this week. We haven't seen any footage or had confirmation that the former Arsenal midfielder has travelled to Germany as of yet, while he is likely to be given more time to settle in.
Dwight McNeil missed Everton's game against Hamburg due to a knock, but Moyes will be hoping he is fit enough to make the squad.
Iliman Ndiaye recently jetted out to Germany to join the Everton squad, so there's a strong chance he's involved in some capacity.
Predicted XI
Travers; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Hackney, Iroegbunam; Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Barry.
My fourth attempt at trying to correctly predict Everton’s starting XI for a pre-season game. We’re yet to get one right, which is hardly a surprise, but it might be a little easier as we head towards the start of the Premier League season.
Things I’d like to see
I'd like to see Thierno Barry given a run in the starting 11 over the next few weeks. As mentioned in a previous article, I do believe the French striker has improved during pre-season. With doubts surrounding the future of Beto, it will be good to show faith in Barry as the starting number nine.
This is undoubtedly our biggest test of pre-season so far, with Stuttgart likely to dominate the ball. It's an opportunity to hopefully see Everton show they don't have to camp inside their own box against dominant sides, and we can implement a strong counter-attacking style.
Moyes needs to show more adaptability heading into the new season. Being able to consistently create chances with minimal possession is something we need to improve.
In an ideal world, it would be good to see a centre-back pairing of Jake O'Brien and Branthwaite. I believe that's what we should be seeing in the new season if a right back arrives, so it would be good to have them develop a good understanding.
Unfortunately, it does feel likely that O'Brien will be starting at right back, and that could potentially be the case when the Premier League returns to