Yerry Mina to return as Frank Lampard to change system again – Everton predicted XI v Southampton
Frank Lampard must claim victory when Everton take on Southampton in the Premier League this weekend and his starting lineup will play a big part in that.
The Toffees have been struggling massively this season and dropped into the relegation zone after their 4-1 defeat to Brighton at Goodison Park last time out, before crashing out of the FA Cup against Manchester United last week.
But with Alex Iwobi ruled out for at least three weeks through injury, and the Saints also in a battle for their Premier League survival, Lampard must ensure he gets his big decisions right pre-game.
In goal Jordan Pickford will be the number one pick for as long as he is at the club and despite rumours of his future being up in the air, he will remain between the sticks for now.
Nathan Patterson has been ruled out for several weeks with a knee injury so captain Seamus Coleman will come into the side on the right, but will it be in a back four or a back five?
Lampard opted for a five in the draw with Manchester City and defeat to Man United, but went with a four in the thrashing by Brighton. That will surely see him revert to a three-centre-back system for this game.
Ben Godfrey got the nod alongside James Tarkowski and Conor Coady most recently, but Yerry Mina was on the bench against Brighton and should be fit enough to come back into the side and take his place, with Vitalii Mykolenko continuing on the left.
Iwobi is out injured and James Garner continues to recover from a back problem, while Tom Davies is reportedly the subject of interest from Rangers for a January transfer.
That should allow Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana to partner up in the middle and offer balance defensively and offensively.
In attack Demarai Gray is in decent form and scoring goals, so will certainly keep his place on the left wing while Anthony Gordon is fit again after battling with illness, so should come into the side on the right wing.
Up front Neal Maupay continues to struggle for goals with just one since his arrival from Brighton, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin was rested against United in order to be fresh for this clash, so he will start once again.
Everton predicted XI v Southampton: Pickford; Mina, Coady, Tarkowski; Coleman, Gueye, Onana, Mykolenko; Gordon, Calvert-Lewin, Gray.