Sean Dyche reveals Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite ‘knocks’ – Early Everton team news vs Crystal Palace
Sean Dyche has revealed Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite have suffered “knocks” but both have been in training and he hopes to have them available as Everton travel to face Crystal Palace.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on 9 November the Toffees boss said the two young Toffees stars had “been on the grass”, and also said Abdoulaye Doucouré had suffered from “a bit of illness” in the build up.
However, Dyche doesn’t appear to be particularly worried about any of the key trio missing the Premier League trip on Saturday (11 November), although the likes of Seamus Coleman and Dele Alli are still not ready for first-team involvement.
Measuring stick
This visit to South London could be an indicator of how much progress has really been made under Dyche in recent weeks, with Roy Hodgson’s side within touching distance at four points above the Toffees.
Additionally, both sides come into the game in similar form and the two managers will surely be eager to head into the international break on a high.
A poor result doesn’t have to derail everything that Everton have achieved in recent weeks, but a fortnight of negative feeling is something that the club and the fans have been through all too often in recent seasons.
Everton were unfortunate not to record another much-needed win against Brighton last weekend, as the Seagulls’ late equaliser came in fortunate circumstances.
Even so it is just two defeats in the club’s last eight games in all competitions and if Dyche can get his side into the break having kept up confidence with another decent result it will be of great benefit heading into the busy run up to Christmas.
With the usual off-field questions swirling around the club it is beginning to look like the Toffees at least won’t be nervously fighting a relegation battle right up to the end of the season this time, but both the previous two seasons fell apart after the clocks changed and the winter set in so the manager will have to guard against any form of overconfidence.
In other Everton news, Kieran Maguire has seen 777’s plans for the new stadium and believes there will be far from universal satisfaction among the fanbase.