A look at the potential changes to the starting XI that David Moyes could make for Everton's trip to Brentford
While they probably want to get straight back out there and play again, Everton now have three weeks to wait before they return to action at Brentford.
The game at the Gtech Community Stadium could now have huge significance in the race for Europe with both sides going into the fixture level on points and just three points adrift of the final Champions League qualification place.
David Moyes’ men are also a mere couple of points behind Chelsea in the table after their 3-0 thrashing of Liam Rosenior’s side at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.
With the Glaswegian gaffer admitting before the trip to Arsenal a week earlier that Jarrad Branthwaite’s minutes might have to be monitored as the club’s most valuable player looks to stay fit following an eight-month spell on the sidelines due to hamstring injuries, Everton must hope that this latest break in action enables the ‘Carlisle Kaiser’ to get some valuable rest time.
After making his long-awaited comeback as a half-time substitute against Leeds United on January 26, Branthwaite made seven consecutive appearances – starting five of those matches – before missing out for the late 2-0 defeat to Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders at the Emirates Stadium.
Although he was absent again from the starting line-up last weekend, the 23-year-old came off the bench to play the final dozen minutes of the match.
If Branthwaite is restored to the starting line-up against the Bees, Michael Keane would seem most likely to drop out with the other centre-back James Tarkowski not only skippering the side in club captain Seamus Coleman’s absence (he's currently on the bench) but having played every game this season apart from when he too missed the visit to the Gunners with an injury which Moyes has refused to disclose the details over.
Although the 33-year-old is these days known for his reluctance to miss matches, he remains something of a pantomime villain among the Brentford fanbase given that amid a series of transfer bids a decade ago, he refused to play in a match against Sean Dyche’s Burnley, a fortnight before the Mancunian returned to his native North West by making a move to Turf Moor.
Another alternative of getting Branthwaite back into the side – especially against Keith Andrews’ big side who are a threat from set-pieces – could be to pick him at left-back in place of Vitalii Mykolenko, a tactic that Moyes deployed both away at Brighton & Hove Albion and at home to Manchester United.
On the other side of defence, Jake O’Brien – despite being another natural centre-back looks set to continue at right-back with James Garner, who played there at Arsenal, excelling once more in his preferred central midfield role against Chelsea and providing the assist for Beto’s first goal with a perfectly-weighted through-ball.
Idrissa Gueye then set up the Guinea-Bissau striker for his second, so he looks set to remain alongside Garner in the engine room, ensuring that the likes of Merlin Rohl, Tim Iroegbunam and Harrison Armstrong all have to wait to be picked again in the centre of the park. The latter of course could earn a recall in a wide position, far more likely to be at the expense of Dwight McNeil rather than Iliman Ndiaye, who scored his first goal from open play against Chelsea since the trip to Sunderland in November.
On loan Tyrique George also comes back into contention for a place down the flanks having been ineligible to face his parent club last time out with Tyler Dibling another alternative.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall seems to have locked in the number 10 role again while Beto’s brace – the first from an Everton player all season – should see him lead the line again ahead of Thierno Barry, if he stays fit.