Amadou Onana nowhere to be seen as Seamus Coleman returns to squad – Everton confirmed starting XI vs Manchester United
Sean Dyche’s confirmed Everton starting XI for the first game back since the 10-point deduction against Manchester United has been released by the club.
Star man Amadou Onana misses out through injury and has been replaced in the midfield by match-winner Idrissa Gana Gueye in the only change from the line-up which took the points at Selhurst Park on 11 November.
And Seamus Coleman returns to the first-team squad at long last with a place on the bench, having been out injured long-term since being stretchered off against Leicester City all the way back on 1 May last season.
The rest of the XI is one again Jordan Pickford in goal, with a back four of Vitalii Mykolenko, Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski and Ashley Young.
Gueye partners James Garner in midfield with Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison on the wings, while Abdoulaye Doucouré is in behind Dominic Calvert-lewin in attack.
Response
When the Toffees went ahead three times in recording a very positive 3-2 win over Crystal Palace prior to the international break it was hard to predict the drama that would ensue before they took to the field next time.
As it is the club have been hit by a record-breaking top flight penalty of 10 points deducted and the reaction is expected to be in full force come kick off at Goodison.
Fans have been protesting at the Premier League HQ and around the ground, and the environment has been widely tipped to be the last thing that Erik ten Hag and his players want to be walking into.
The Everton fans are pretty much guaranteed to do their part in the stands so the players have to harness that and translate it into a real performance on the pitch.
Dyche and the players can’t take it lying down for their positive form of late being undercut after being sent back into the relegation zone without a ball being kicked.
Whatever happens in terms of the appeal to the commission or the potential claims for compensation from rival clubs the team needs to show a real reaction on the pitch to ensure this punishment doesn’t destroy the season, and that starts here.
In other Everton news, a government minister has accepted the obvious agreement in parliament as the Toffees case was raised in the House of Commons.