Everton will look to continue their rich vein of form when they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday. The Toffees are coming on the back of a three-game winning streak and another win this weekend will see them get closer to the Top 6.
Manchester United, on the other hand, conceded a disappointing last-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Chelsea last weekend And after a stressful 1-0 defeat to Juventus in midweek, the Red Devils will be keen to bounce back to form, failing which could spell further trouble for manager Jose Mourinho.
Everton team news
Although Everton won’t be having any fresh injury concerns ahead of their clash against Manchester United, defender Phil Jagielka is still doubtful along with midfielder James McCarthy(just returned to training) and young sensation Beni Baningime.
Predicted Everton lineup vs Manchester United
Defence
Jordan Pickford starred in the win over Crystal Palace and will be looking to keep up with his good form against Manchester United this weekend.
Yerry Mina is poised to make his first start for the club, following a frustrating spell on the sidelines. The Colombian international was an unused sub against Palace but could start in central defence alongside Michael Keane on Sunday.
Speaking of Keane, his remarkable defensive effort(3 tackles, 8 clearances and 10 aerial duels) was paramount in Everton’s clean sheet against the Eagles and the 25-year-old will once again play a key role against the Red Devils.
Seamus Coleman, on the other hand, will continue to feature as the right-back after returning to full fitness last weekend while Lucas Digne will be deployed on the opposite flank. Digne has notched up the second most number of key passes in the team this season but it will be interesting to see how he fares against the threat of Marcus Rashford this weekend.
Midfield
Both Idrissa Gueye and Andre Gomes made their return to full fitness against Palace last weekend and both were excellent. As a result, coach Marco Silva will be more than happy to deploy the midfielders at the base of the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Gomes, in particular, was excellent in his Everton debut, making a couple of key interceptions while boasting a pass accuracy of 92%. His creativity and ball carrying abilities could be key while attacking midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson will be equally important in terms of creating chances in the final third.
The Icelandic international has been the most productive attacker for Everton this season, with four goals and one assist and he will look to make a big impression once again.
Attack
After a quiet display against Palace, Richarlison is likely to revert to his customary left-wing position while Theo Walcott will start on the opposite flank. And finally, the Everton attack will be led by Cenk Tosun, who doubled Everton’s lead in the last minute of the game against Crystal Palace.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
