A look at the potential changes to the starting 11 that Sean Dyche could make for Everton's trip to Aston Villa
Everton manager Sean Dyche could have some selection posers for his team’s first away game of the season at Aston Villa.
Once again, a lack of a cutting edge cost Everton dearly in their opening fixture of 2023/24 at home to Fulham as despite creating a series of gilt-edged opportunities and having an expected goals of around three, the team that netted just 34 times in 38 Premier League matches last term drew a blank in what was a 1-0 ‘smash and grab’ win for Marco Silva’s side.
Dyche insisted that number nine Dominic Calvert-Lewin was not fit to play as he was continuing his rehabilitation programme but after a couple of 45 minute run-outs in the Blues’ last two pre-season friendly matches, he is understood to have lasted the full 90 in a behind closed doors training game against Manchester United at their Carrington complex on Tuesday and could be in contention for a competitive return in the West Midlands.
The Netherlands international could be deployed either up front or on the wing and if he is handed a wide role then James Garner could be moved elsewhere, to either central midfield or even right-back, the position he occupied for Lee Carsley in England’s triumph at this summer’s UEFA Under-21 European Championships, which could put pressure on Nathan Patterson who got caught out for the only goal of the game last weekend.
Stand-in captain James Tarkowski and Michael Keane got the nod in the centre-back positions against Fulham but Dyche revealed after the game that “we like what we have seen so far” with Jarrad Branthwaite, who started at Manchester United alongside Ben Godfrey.
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