Dwight McNeil and Abdoulaye Doucoure fitness updates shared – Early Everton team news v Aston Villa
Everton manager Sean Dyche has provided an early team news update ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
The Toffees are back in action at Goodison Park on Sunday (14 January) after a 10-day break since drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.
Speaking to the media on Friday (12 January), via the Kick Streaming app, Dyche confirmed that Dwight McNeil is “unlikely to play”
McNeil was stretchered off against Palace and, while the injury is not as bad as first feared, the visit of Villa may still come too soon.
Dyche is more hopeful over Abdoulaye Doucoure, though, with the midfielder on course to return to action after nearly a month on the sidelines.
Ashley Young is “back on the grass”, meanwhile, and is also in outside contention of featuring in the squad against Villa.
Dele Alli remains a long-term absentee, while Idrissa Gueye is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Positive news
The big injury news to come out of Dyche’s press conference is that the injury sustained by McNeil at Selhurst Park is not as serious as first feared.
When the winger was taken down the tunnel on a stretcher, it looked for all the world that he was facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
As Dyche put it, “we were worried at the beginning but it has settled down quickly”. That can only be considered a massive positive for the Toffees.
It would have been ideal having McNeil available for this big test against Aston Villa, but Dyche will not rush his return to action.
Doucoure’s likely return is also a huge boost and it does not look like Young is far away from being back involved either.
Everton may not have strengthened the squad in January, but at least these player returns are giving Dyche more options to choose from.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are facing another farcical PSR scenario following an update shared on Thursday (11 January).