‘Blessing in disguise’ for Everton as players leave for international duty
Liverpool Echo journalist Brendan McGilligan has claimed the international break will prove to be a blessing in disguise for Sean Dyche, with only five Everton players away on senior international duty.
McGilligan shared that only Nathan Patterson, Amadou Onana, Jordan Pickford, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Idrissa Gueye are leaving Finch Farm for international appearances, although Jarrad Branthwaite will also leave for youth duty.
The journalist has suggested that the two-week break for the international fixtures will allow Dyche to work with his team and keep their form up ahead of the Merseyside at Anfield following the break.
Writing for the Liverpool Echo website on 11 October, McGilligan shared: “It is an international break that will see Dyche lose just five members of his squad to full international duty, though the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite will be in youth action.
“Only Sheffield United, who languish at the bottom of the Premier League, have fewer players on international duty.
“Some members of the Blues squad will have to improve their form to be considered for call-ups while injuries to the likes of club captain Seamus Coleman, who turns 35 today, have also contributed to the low number of international selections.
“However, in the short term, could it be a blessing in disguise for Dyche? First up after the international break is the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Anfield, kicking off at 12.30 pm on Saturday, October 21.
“This two-week window will allow the Everton manager to work with his players to formulate a gameplan to defeat the Reds for only the second time in Jurgen Klopp’s tenure. The Blues’ last derby victory came back in February 2021 under the stewardship of Carlo Ancelotti.”
Extra time on the training ground
Dyche will have this extra time to work with his squad ahead of the clash at Anfield, which could allow the Toffees to work on some new plans in an attempt to get a first derby win since 2021.
The opposite will be the case for Liverpool, with the majority of their squad jetting across the world during the two-week break, which can often lead to issues upon their return to the squad whether through late arrivals, jet lag, or problems picked up with their countries.
The 12:30 kick-off at Anfield is always a fixture Jurgen Klopp likes to complain about, and Sean Dyche will be hoping to give him another reason to complain by earning a result there in two weeks’ time.
He will be looking to use the international break to find some minor improvements his team can make after their good recent form, with three wins in their last four games.
In other Everton news, the club have been proven to make the right call in the transfer market.