Everton early team news v Bournemouth: Dyche confirms four out
Everton manager Sean Dyche has confirmed that Dwight McNeil will miss the trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.
The former Burnley winger is the Blues’ top contributor in the Premier League with three goals and three assists in 13 appearances so far this season.
However, he missed the last four league matches with a knee injury and the Toffees could do with having him back.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Dyche revealed that the 25-year-old will not be ready for the contest along with three others, saying: “Them two [Tim Igoegbunam and James Garner] are both on the grass with the sports science side though, not ready for us yet.
“I doubt Dwight at the weekend, we are settling but getting into that final moment when he can join in again has been trickier than we thought.
“No [Seamus Coleman], nothing too serious but not ready for this one.”
Everton need a win against Bournemouth
The Blues are in desperate need of a victory on the south coast on Saturday (4 December) against the Cherries.
Dyche’s side find themselves in 16th place in the Premier League just two points above the relegation zone despite recent draws with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
If they are to pull away from another brutal survival battle they need to start winning matches and not settling for clean sheets.
The Toffees have the best record in Europe’s top five leagues for clean sheets since October 1 with Jordan Pickford keeping seven in that period.
However, that will mean nothing if they do not start scoring goals and ensuring that they climb up the table, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto notching just three goals so far in the league.
They will hope to start doing that on Saturday but it will be a struggle without McNeil involved in any capacity.
In other Everton news, Dyche could be sacked soon after the latest Goodison Park update from a Blues expert.
For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.