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.
