Everton predicted line-up vs. Burnley: Three changes made with bargain signing among key players out
All the latest team news and injury updates as Everton’s Sean Dyche prepares to face Burnley for the first time since leaving Turf Moor.
When Everton visits Turf Moor on Saturday night for the late Premier League kickoff, they will be hoping to extend their unbeaten streak in December. Sean Dyche will be managing Burnley for the first time since leaving the team that gave him his start in the managerial profession.
The Toffees have won three straight league games without giving up a goal, defeating Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, and Chelsea in convincing fashion. However, they will be without at least two key players when they play Vincent Kompany’s team this weekend, even though they also have their own injury concerns to contend with.
Below, we’ve compiled the most recent information on the team and injury reports, as well as our best estimation of Dyche’s starting lineup for the match, which will hold significant personal meaning for the Everton head coach.
Since he was first named in the startling line-up against Wolverhampton Wanderers back in August, towering young centre-half Jarrad Branthwaite hasn’t missed a single minute – but he will be absent this weekend as he faces a one-match suspension for collecting five bookings. Either Michael Keane or Ben Godfrey will partner James Tarkowski at centre-back, with Dyche confirming that Keane is fit after a minor knock suffered in training.
Ashley Young is only one yellow card away from facing the same fate, but Dyche has confirmed that he won’t be available this weekend anyway – the 38-year-old picked up a muscle strain against Chelsea last weekend and isn’t fully fit. Everton’s other veteran full-back, Seamus Coleman, is the only other absentee as he’s carrying a knock, although he has only made one appearance in the top flight this season anyway.
Midfield
Holding midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye will certainly miss out this weekend, as he too has collected five bookings after seeing yellow in the win over Chelsea, and as such the Senegalese international will be suspended until next week’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Even though Abdoulaye Doucouré has already received four yellow cards this season, he should be prepared to continue his perfect record of Premier League starts until he gets into trouble with the referee once more. It is anticipated that Amadou Onana will be fully healthy again after missing only ninety minutes of action following the victory over West Ham United at the end of October.
Happily, Everton’s injury issues are limited to the defense. AndrĂ© Gomes and Dele Alli, who haven’t played yet this season, are the only players who are expected to miss the match at Turf Moor. The good news is that Dele, who during the summer opened up about his battles with mental health disorders and a sleeping pill addiction, is back in first-team training, even though it’s unlikely he’ll be called up to the team just yet.
Everton’s forwards are in excellent health. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is expected to start for the third straight game as he attempts to overcome a difficult period of injuries and regain his best form. He has an xG of 2.88 in his last three games without scoring a goal, but perhaps a strong showing in East Lancashire will help him regain confidence and his scoring touch.
The home side do have issues in the final third, with Luca Koleosho likely to miss the rest of the season after sustaining a serious knee injury against Wolves in last week’s midweek games, while joint top-scorer Lyle Foster, who has missed the last seven league games with injury, is now a doubt with an illness.
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