Chris Beesley - Gordon and Maupay remain from midweek collapse
Frank Lampard’s decision to change his entire starting line-up for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie left many Everton fans furious but following their 4-1 thrashing to a mostly second-string Bournemouth line-up, the hope must now be that the Blues boss rings the changes again for his side’s second game at the Vitality Stadium in just four days. Dominic Calvert-Lewin remains sidelined with no fewer than three separate injuries but Lampard declared that both Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, who also went off against Leicester City last Saturday and missed the midweek match, are fit and available so they surely need to be recalled ahead of them both heading off to the World Cup with Belgium and Senegal respectively.
Another Qatar-bound star, England number one Jordan Pickford will return in between the sticks while Lampard will surely return to a flat back four with Conor Coady, joining his goalkeeper in the Three Lions squad, and James Tarkowski restored in the centre-back berths.
Vitalii Mykolenko also looks a shoo-in to be recalled at left-back but the opposite flank of defence is more ambiguous with Nathan Patterson having been the best of a bad bunch among Lampard’s all-changed XI but then being culpable for the last goal so having being given a breather, I’d recall captain Seamus Coleman. It’s all change in midfield with the fit-again Onana and Gueye returning alongside Alex Iwobi who was a substitute on Tuesday.
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On the wings, there are three players vying for two slots as per usual but I’d bring back Demarai Gray after his goal and have him and Anthony Gordon with Neal Maupay – by default – leading the line.
My team (4-3-3): Pickford; Coleman, Mykolenko, Coady, Tarkowski; Gueye, Onana, Iwobi; Gordon, Gray, Maupay
Joe Thomas - Gueye and Onana should start
Well, this a big one. Win today and the defeat on Tuesday will disappear into the shadows. By no means irrelevant and still frustrating, but Everton supporters will spend the next six weeks in far more comfort as the club sits in mid-table.
Frank Lampard cannot make 11 changes again, not with Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured. But if I were him I’d change formation and go back to 4-3-3 and aim to have Everton playing more aggressively today. Jordan Pickford, Vitalii Mykolenko, Conor Coady and James Tarkowski all come in, but I keep Nathan Patterson.
The injury news on Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana was positive and I would start both, and play both deeper together. Onana was pushed up against Leicester City and I wasn’t really sure what was expected of him. Everton conceded too much time and space in midfield so having Onana supporting Gueye’s work - helping to protect the defence and build attacks - is important.
Alex Iwobi gets creative licence in front of them with Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray supporting Neal Maupay. I’m really keen to see Tom Cannon on the bench and hope he gets a go if Everton need something extra up top.
My team (4-3-3): Pickford; Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Gueye, Onana, Iwobi; Gray, Maupay, Gordon.
Matt Jones - Patterson must play - if he's fit
Another rotten performance - maybe the manager should change the whole team!?
Hang on...
Regardless, Frank Lampard doesn't have that luxury this weekend, as Everton head back to their own personal house of horrors in Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium.
A triumvirate of injury issues means Dominic Calvert-Lewin is out, meaning Neal Maupay - who has looked increasingly like a square peg in a round hole - will surely lead the line.
There are other parts of the team that picks itself, including goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, three of the back four - Conor Coady, James Tarkowski and Vitalii Mykolenko - as well as the midfield - Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye and Alex Iwobi - fitness permiting. James Garner's early withdrawal from the game on Tuesday felt like it was more out of frustration from Lampard, not with a view to the playmaker being fresh for the weekend.
The big decisions to make are at right-back and out wide. For the former, Nathan Patterson performed well for an hour before his fitness let him down late on - if he has a full 90 minutes in his legs, he should start.
Meanwhile, Demarai Gray starts after his decent cameo on Tuesday, while Dwight McNeil gets the nod on the other flank. After another yet another rash tackle in the week, Anthony Gordon looks as likely to be red-carded that score a goal at the moment; he's a man who looks in desperate need of a mid-season break.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Gueye, Onana; Gray, Iwobi, McNeil; Maupay
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