Onana and Davies start in a three-man midfield
Joe Thomas: Injuries once again dominate the thought process as we head into an important, if not quite 'must-win', game for the Blues. Abdoulaye Doucoure joined the injury list with a hamstring problem he sustained at Aston Villa while Dominic Calvert-Lewin's continued absence causes a headache up top. Amadou Onana and Tom Davies should hopefully be in good condition having had a week to build on their displays at Villa Park while Allan is now back in contention - though match fitness will be an issue.
The back five picks itself - Everton have been solid in the first 180 minutes of the season while Nathan Patterson and Vitalii Mykolenko both offer a forward threat. I would start Salomon Rondon so they have a target man for their crosses and I would play Anthony Gordon just off him - hoping the 21-year-old can pick up the ball from deeper positions that in the false nine role he has played so far. That way Gordon can do what he does best - run at players with the ball at his feed - while also feed off the loose balls caused by Rondon's presence.
Davies looked decent against Villa and I would have him in a three-man centre midfield with the ever-impressive Alex Iwobi and the exciting Amadou Onana. They may well be the only three match fit players who can play centre midfield today, but I think there is enough endeavour there to cause Nottingham Forest problems.
My team (5-3-2): Pickford; Patterson, Holgate, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Onana, Davies; Gordon, Rondon.
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Onana from the off as Rondon leads the line
Chris Beesley: Frank Lampard was coy over whether it was too early to hand Amadou Onana a first start for Everton but when the alternatives are Tom Davies and Allan, who the Blues boss admitted was even less match fit than the big Belgian - then the £33.5million man comes into the side for me in place of the injured Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Lampard also insists that Anthony Gordon has been unfazed by the Chelsea transfer speculation so while he retains his place - could it be for the last time at Goodison as an Everton player? - he moves back out to his natural position on the wing given that the experiment to deploy him as a false number nine in the first two matches of the season has not proven a success,
Salomon Rondon therefore spearheads the attack with new boy Dwight McNeil is the unfortunate man who misses out with Demarai Gray's experience in the side giving him the edge on this occasion against a Nottingham Forest side that has brought in no fewer than 16 fresh faces this summer.
My team (3-4-3): Pickford; Tarkowski, Holgate, Coady; Patterson, Iwobi, Onana, Mykolenko; Gordon, Rondon, Gray.
Rondon needs to start as midfield dilemma emerges
Paul Wheelock: If Everton can get a striker and another attacking player over the line before the transfer window shuts, there is an argument to suggest that their squad will be stronger than it was last season despite the loss of talisman Richarlison. But what continues to hamper Frank Lampard are injuries, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Andros Townsend and Andre Gomes all sidelined for a game today that, even at this early stage of the campaign feels a must-win.
At least four of those players would likely be in Lampard’s starting line-up this afternoon were they fit but it is the absence of Calvert-Lewin - and the lack of that new forward option - that is the biggest concern. Salomon Rondon is not up to the standard of the badly-missed Everton No.9 but, after being suspended against Chelsea and left on the bench against Aston Villa, he needs to start today, with Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray either side of him.
The defence - while not as impressive against Villa as it was against Chelsea - picks itself behind Jordan Pickford. and the excellent start to the season that Alex Iwobi is having means he is now one of the first names on Lampard’s team-sheet. So who to start next to him in midfield now Doucoure is sidelined? The safe move would be to bring in Tom Davies who, to his credit, played well at Villa Park after coming on. But it was the cameo of Amadou Onana that really excited, and in the absence of those aforementioned new forward recruits, it is the sight of the big summer signing in the starting line-up when the team news drops at 2pm that would really get pulses racing.
My team (3-4-3): Pickford; Holgate, Coady, Tarkowski; Patterson, Iwobi, Onana, Mykolenko; Gray, Rondon, Gordon.
Gordon continues in attack with McNeil selected
Hannah Pinnock: Everton are in need of points this weekend as they prepare to welcome Nottingham Forest to Goodison Park.
Pickford is nailed on to start this afternoon, with new signings Coady and Tarkowski ahead of him alongside Holgate. Mykolenko and Patterson have started the Blues' first two fixtures and Lampard will likely stick with them for this game.
They'll likely be joined by Iwobi, but following the injury to Doucoure last time out, the Everton boss may need to call on new signing Onana for his first start of the season.
Despite ongoing transfer speculation over the future of Gordon, he remains an Everton player and will no doubt line up against Forest. He could be joined by Gray and McNeil.
My team (3-4-3): Pickford; Tarkowski, Coady, Holgate; Patterson, Iwobi, Onana, Mykolenko; Gray, Gordon, McNeil.
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