Everton travel to the east Midlands in the hopes that they can truly kickstart their survival bid, with a vital Premier League win on the road against Nottingham Forest.
Sean Dyche has endured a mixed start to life at Goodison Park, and with two wins and three losses thus far he will be hoping to once again even the scales in favour of the former.
However, his travels take him to a somewhat resurgent side, as Steve Cooper’s men boast just two losses in the league since the start of the new year. They will likely still be reeling from their 4-0 demolition at the hands of fellow relegation contenders West Ham United, and that result will give the Toffees hope.
They are to once again be without star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and although the pair are making fine progress, James Garner and Nathan Patterson remain sidelined.
Dyche will be keen to attain a vital three points that could see them rise out of the relegation zone and to within a point of today’s opponents, who sit in 14th.
How might Everton line up against Nottingham Forest?
With this in mind, here is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up at the City Ground, with Dyche making three changes to his side that fell to a heavy defeat at the Emirates in midweek.
(4-5-1) – (GK) Pickford; (RB) Coleman, (CB) Tarkowski, (CB) Mina, (LB) Mykolenko; (RM) McNeil, (CM) Onana, (CM) Gueye, (CM) Doucoure, (LM) Gray; (CF) Simms.
Jordan Pickford will remain in goal fresh from signing his new contract, and a fine display today could be imperative in securing the win.
He will sit behind a back four that only sees Michael Keane drop out, in favour of fan-favourite Yerry Mina who could make his return. A start today would be his first since their loss against the Hammers in mid-January, and just his fourth of the season.
Although often plagued with injuries, the £120k-per-week titan is widely recognised around the club as one of the better centre-backs and certainly the “animal” that journalist Daniel Avellaneda dubbed him when available.
He will partner James Tarkowski, and the two will be flanked by Seamus Coleman and Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Sticking with a flat midfield five, a lack of alternative options means Abdoulaye Doucoure, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye all retain their spots. Had there been a viable substitution, the latter of those three would surely have been dropped after his disasterclass against Arsenal. They cannot afford any liabilities in a game as important as today.
The main change will be to see Alex Iwobi sent to the bench in an effort to add more attacking impetus on the road, as Demarai Gray is recalled. A resurgent Dwight McNeil will occupy the opposite flank.
Then, in the hopes of adding more physicality up front, Neal Maupay will be dropped to allow Ellis Simms an opportunity to disrupt Forest’s defence.
His hulking frame and increased speed are sure to cause more damage than the diminutive Frenchman, who has only scored once all term.
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