Everton at Leicester: Predicted Line-Up | Injury Crisis Upon Crisis

Yesterday at 10:12 AM

How will bare bones Everton line up at the King Power?

There is no respite for Everton, right now.

Zero points from four games in the league. Out of the League Cup already. And now an injury crisis to compound matters.

So, what side can Sean Dyche piece together as the Blues face their potential relegation rivals for the season?

Who's Out?

So, let's start with the certainties: Chermiti and Broja are out for a good while yet, while Seamus Coleman's injury is worse than original thought, so he'll also miss out.

Idrissa Gana Gueye is unavailable due to a family bereavement with his father passing away this week.

Nathan Patterson and Jarrad Branthwaite are nearly ready to return, but they'll link up with the under-21s on Sunday in order to build their match fitness. Fingers crossed they'll be available for Palace next weekend.

Illness swept through the squad earlier this week, which meant Calvert-Lewin, Mykolenko and Garner were unavailable for the cup game, while Jack Harrison is now also ill. Calvert-Lewin and Mykolenko should be healthy enough to play having returned to training, but Garner and Harrison look likely to miss out.

Of course, with illness ravaging the squad, it's also very possible that more sickness will emerge before kick-off on Saturday.

Michael Keane picked up a knock in the cup and is a doubt, while James Tarkowski should be available to play after returning to training following a minor issue.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS LEICESTER

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Virginia, Begovic

Defenders: Keane (DOUBT), Branthwaite (INJURED), Tarkowski (DOUBT), O'Brien, Mykolenko (DOUBT), Coleman (INJURED), Patterson (INJURED), Young, Dixon

Midfielders: Doucoure, Gueye (UNAVAILABEL), Garner (ILL), Iroegbuman, Mangala, Armstrong

Wingers: McNeil, Harrison (ILL), Ndiaye, Lindstrom

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin (DOUBT), Beto, Chermiti (INJURED), Broja (INJURED)

Tactics and Formation

Despite the lengthy absentee list, the Blues should be able to cobble together a reasonable starting XI – assuming they avoid another spurt of illness – but the bench will be sparse, for sure.

With Keane a doubt, surely it will be time to give O'Brien his first Premier League start – and ideally alongside James Tarkowski.

Mykolenko at left back with Ashley Young (or - dream on - Roman Dixon) at right back.

Mangala will come in for Gueye, and will likely joined by Iroegbunam and Doucoure in midfield. Ndiaye and McNeil on the wings as Lindstrom was hard to watch in midweek.

Calvert-Lewin, hopefully, leading the line.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 9/10

Ashley Young – 6/10

James O'Brien – 6/10

James Tarkowski – 7/10

Vitaliy Mykolenko – 7/10

Orel Mangala – 8/10

Tim Iroegbunam – 8/10

Abdoulaye Doucoure –7/10

Iliman Ndiaye - 8/10

Dwight McNeil – 8/10

Dominic Calvert-Lewin– 7/10

Bench

Joao Virginia

Asmir Begovic

Roman Dixon

Michael Keane

Harrison Armstrong

Abdoulaye Doucoure

Jesper Lindstrom

Martin Sherif

Beto