David Moyes hands out first Everton start in confirmed XI v Crystal Palace
David Moyes has handed one player his first Everton start in his confirmed team to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The Toffees travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday (16 February) off the back of their fiery Premier League encounter with Liverpool on Wednesday (12 February), with the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park ending 2-2.
Moyes will be hoping for three points and perhaps a bit less drama against the Eagles, as the fallout from their dramatic draw with Liverpool continues after an argument between Paul Merson and Mike Dean.
Alan Shearer doesn’t have high hopes for the Toffees against Palace, and Moyes’ team selection won’t have made things any easier for the visitors.
Carlos Alcaraz starts as Everton XI named v Crystal Palace
Everton are largely unchanged from their draw with Liverpool. However, they are without two key players as Abdoulaye Doucouré misses out through suspension while Iliman Ndiaye is absent after suffering a crushing injury blow.
Therefore, Jack Harrison and Carlos Alcaraz have been drafted in, with the latter making his first start for Everton. This could cause some difficulty at Selhurst Park due to the midfielder’s lack of experience with his new team.
Meanwhile, Harrison has hardly set the league alight with his performances this season, and his inclusion could be seen as a weakness for Palace to exploit.
Everton searching for three points v Crystal Palace
Moyes’ side could move as high as 12th with victory in South London on Saturday.
A win at Selhurst Park would see Everton leapfrog Crystal Palace in the Premier League table and move one step closer to safety ahead of their move to Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
However, a defeat could open the door ever so slightly for the chasing pack. Therefore, while the Toffees no longer look to be in any immediate danger of relegation, they will be keen to continue building on the momentum Moyes has built since he returned to Goodison Park.
And a win away at Palace would certainly help them to do just that.