Everton vs Manchester City: Predicted Line-Up | Pack the midfield

Brilliant. Terrible. Brilliant. Terrible.

It’s been a very mixed start for Frank Lampard at Everton and now the Blues really need to find some form or else face a true relegation battle.

Unfortunately, top-of-the-league Man City are the next visitors to Goodison Park.

So how will Super Frank line up his mighty Blues?

Who’s Out?

There’s some really good news on the injury front, with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Demarai Gray once again available. Doucoure, in particular, is a massive boost for the Blues midfield.

Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey, Fabian Delph and Tom Davies are all keeping the physio room busy, although Godfrey is just a week or two from a return now.

Vitalii Mykolenko is fit, but may be left out given the shocking situation from his home country this week.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS MAN CITY

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Begovic, Lonergan

Defenders: Keane, Mina (INJURY), Godfrey (INJURY), Holgate, Branthwaite, Mykolenko (DOUBT), Coleman, Kenny, Patterson, Holgate

Midfielders: Allan, Doucoure, Delph (INJURY), Gomes, Alli, van de Beek, Onyango, Davies (INJURY)

Wingers: Gray, Gordon, Townsend, Iwobi, El Ghazi

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Rondon, Tosun, Dobbin

Tactics and Formation

The Everton midfield was overran by Southampton last week, so you can be sure we won’t be seeing a 4-4-2 setup against Manchester City.

There’ll be another body in that midfield, and that will surely be that of Abdoulaye Doucoure – who’s always a massive miss for the Blues when he’s unavailable.

Frank’s set up in a 4-3-3 on a couple of occasions, so we can expect a slightly more cautious version of that, whether that be a 4-5-1 or a 4-2-3-1. Either way, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be leading the line and the wingers will have to chip in with their share of defensive work.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 10/10

Seamus Coleman – 8/10

Jonjoe Kenny - 7/10

Will probably keep his spot at left-back, especially considering Mykolenko’s personal distractions right now.

Michael Keane – 10/10

Mason Holgate – 10/10

Allan - 9/10

Donny van de Beek – 8/10

Abdoulaye Doucoure – 7/10

Should play if he’s fit enough.

Richarlison – 10/10

Anthony Gordon – 8/10

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 9/10

Bench

Asmir Begovic

Jarrad Branthwaite

Vitalii Mykolenko

Andre Gomes

Dele Alli

Demarai Gray

Andros Townsend

Alex Iwobi

Salomon Rondon