Everton’s 2023-24 Premier League starts this weekend with a clash against Fulham at Goodison Park.
And for the Toffees, there will be one chief aim – survival. Having been in a relegation scrap for the past two campaigns, the first target will be avoiding a dogfight at the foot of the table.
Everton’s battle to retain their top-flight status went all the way until the final day of 2022-23. A 1-0 victory over Bournemouth ensured that Sean Dyche’s men stayed up, although the manager wasn’t getting carried away with the task at hand after the game.
Dyche, who succeeded Frank Lampard in January, insisted there would be no ‘easy fix’ for the Blues and there was still ‘massive amount of work to be done’.
Everton have gone unbeaten during their pre-season programme, delivering wins over Stade Nyonnais, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City and most recently Sporting CP while there were draws with Bolton Wanderers and AC Monza.
But now the competitive action starts against a Fulham side who finished 10th last term and will be looking to kick-on again under former Blues chief Marco Silva.
Ahead of the game on Saturday, here’s an early look at the team news for both sides.
1. Dwight McNeil – out
Dyche has confirmed that the Everton winger will be sidelined for ‘weeks’ with ankle ligament damage.
2. Seamus Coleman – out
The Everton captain continues his recovery from a knee injury suffered against Leicester towards the end of last season.
3. Dele Alli – out
The Everton midfielder continues his recovery from hip surgery he had in April. Dyche said last weekend that Dele is still ‘miles away’ from being available for selection.
4. Jean- Philippe Gbamin – out
The midfielder has played no part in pre-season after suffering an injury during a loan spell at Trabzonspor last season. Gbamin’s future remains uncertain.
5. Arnaut Danjuma – return
The on-loan Villarreal forward missed the Sporting game with a knock. Whether Danjuma is fit enough to start remains to be seen.
6. James Tarkowski – fit
The centre-back was forced off late on against Sporting but only as a precaution. He’s as durable as they come.
7. Demarai Gray – doubt
Dyche said that the winger was short of match fitness to face Sporting. However, reports have suggested that Gray has not been training with Everton as he’s agreed personal terms with Fulham.
8. Mason Holgate – doubt
The Everton defender was not involved against Sporting, having also missed the pre-season trip to the Alps with an issue. What’s more, Holgate has played twice for the under-21s during the summer amid links to Southampton and Sheffield United.
9. Joao Palhinha – out
The Fulham midfielder suffered a dislocated shoulder in pre-season.
10. Tom Cairney – out
The Fulham captain has a problem in the hamstring area.
