Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Idrissa Gueye to make first starts of the season – Everton predicted XI v West Ham United
Everton return to the field of action for the first time since the Merseyside derby when they host West Ham at Goodison Park on Sunday.
The Toffees are winless so far in the Premier League but have drawn each of their last four games, picking up a point each from games against Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Leeds and Liverpool.
But now they must look to turn those results into wins, and Frank Lampard has some big decisions to make with his starting lineup for the game.
In goal Jordan Pickford has started every game of the season so far in the Premier League, but he picked up a thigh injury since the clash with Liverpool and will be out of action until after the international break at least.
That will allow Asmir Begovic the chance to step into his place, making his first appearance since the Carabao Cup clash against Fleetwood back in August.
In defence, not much is expected to change though. Nathan Patterson and Vitalii Mykolenko have been exceptional in both directions and have firmly established themselves as the first choice full-backs.
Yerry Mina remains out injured so summer signings Conor Coady and James Tarkowski should continue their blossoming partnership in the centre.
Lampard has opted for a 4-3-3 formation for much of this season and that is likely to continue, but there should be a new face added to the mix to help shore things up defensively.
Amadou Onana and Alex Iwobi’s ability to go box-to-box and carry the ball progressively has made them almost undroppable, but by adding in summer signing Idrissa Gana Gueye from the start of the 90 minutes they will be given some extra freedom to get forward too. James Garner is likely to start on the bench.
In attack Anthony Gordon has proven his importance to the side, justifying why Everton worked so hard to keep him at the club during the summer despite interest from Newcastle, Tottenham and Chelsea.
He will continue to start in a wide position, while Demarai Gray has been excellent on the left wing too and proven to be a reliable goal threat, so he should continue with his pace and skill.
Up front Lampard has a tough decision to make. Neal Maupay finally made his debut against Liverpool and had a good performance, but he did miss some big chances in the game that could’ve turned one point into three.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin available again after returning to training, he could come into the side meaning Lampard has his strongest attack available to him for the first time. A lack of training could see him on the bench, but the temptation will surely be to start him.
Predicted Everton XI v West Ham: Begovic; Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Gueye, Iwobi, Onana; Gordon, Calvert-Lewin, Gray