Everton predicted XI v Brighton and Hove Albion: Sean Dyche to drop flop, Ashley Young also axed
Sean Dyche could drop Arnaut Danjuma from his starting line-up when Everton return to Premier League action against Brighton and Hove Albion.
The on-loan Villarreal forward was handed a rate start for the EFL Cup last-16 tie with Burnley on Wednesday (1 November) but failed to impress.
Despite Everton registering a convincing 3-0 win to keep their upturn in form going, Danjuma struggled to offer much of anything in the final third.
Dyche may therefore look to bring Abdoulaye Doucoure back into the XI for the visit of Brighton at Goodison Park on Saturday (4 November).
Fellow attacker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has started six successive matches, and there is no reason why he will not extend that run this weekend.
If that is the case, summer signing Beto – still finding his feet on Merseyside – would again be on stand-by to provide cover if needed.
Dwight McNeil impressed in the win over Burnley and seems nailed on to start versus Brighton, as does Jack Harrison on the opposite flank.
Toffees boss Dyche will also likely see no reason to break up the central-midfield partnership of James Garner and Amadou Onana.
That would mean another watching brief from the substitutes’ bench for Idrissa Gueye, who recently lost his place in the side.
Jordan Pickford is surely a certainty to start in goal, while two of the back four – James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite – also pick themselves.
Arguably the biggest call for Dyche to make is at full-back, as Ashley Young returned from suspension against Burnley and got on the scoresheet.
It was otherwise a slightly underwhelming display from the veteran, and it may well be that Nathan Patterson is recalled at right-back in the only other change.
Vitaliy Mykolenko therefore looks set to start on the left as Everton set out to make it three wins in a row in all competitions.
In other Everton news, Dyche raved about the “exceptional” performance of one Toffees player in particular against Burnley.