Everton predicted XI v Manchester United: Pickford returns, new signing starts
Everton will continue their pre-season preparations with a game against Manchester United on Sunday.
The Toffees have played two games on their United States tour so far, losing to both Bournemouth and West Ham.
However, the 2-1 loss to the Hammers on Wednesday (30 July) did have some positives for David Moyes to take, with good pressing leading to Idrissa Gueye’s opener.
Now, Everton will hope to end their tour of the US with a victory, and Moyes could deploy a strong team to face Manchester United at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (3 August).
Jordan Pickford and Thierno Barry to start v Manchester United
Jordan Pickford is likely to return to the starting lineup against Manchester United, after Mark Travers’ poor mistake led to Lucas Paqueta’s equaliser for West Ham.
James Tarkowski could also return and is expected to play alongside Michael Keane.
New signing Adam Aznou has joined the group in the United States, but Vitaliy Mykolenko is likely to keep his place from the start on the opposite side of Nathan Patterson.
Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam are expected to start once again, while Carlos Alcaraz could also be given the nod in midfield.
Harrison Armstrong, 18, impressed against West Ham but could be dropped to the bench after playing the full 90.
Dwight McNeil and Iliman Ndiaye are expected to retain their starting roles, while new signing Thierno Barry could be handed his first start in Everton blue.
Depth still an issue for Everton
Moyes still looks to be lacking in quality depth, with the Premier League’s return just two weeks away.
New signings Aznou, Barry, and Travers look to be solid investments, but Everton must power ahead in the transfer market to avoid a repeat of last season’s early woes.
Tyler Dibling is the latest name to be linked with a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, after the Toffees had a £27million opening bid rejected by Southampton.
Jack Grealish and Malick Fofana are also of interest to Everton, but both deals would require significant expenditure on wages.
Dibling’s age could make him a slightly cheaper alternative, although Southampton are likely to require a significant fee to part ways with their talented teenager.
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