Everton vs Brentford Predicted Line-Up: DCL Available Again?

If you haven’t heard, Everton are in another relegation battle, with exactly the same number of points as last season with a dozen games left to play.

Weirdly, the Blues are playing well. The trouble is, they can only score from set pieces (or veteran right-back wonder goals).

So, what can Everton do to remedy this against Brentford at Goodison Park?

Who’s Out?

The big news is that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is back in full training and is being closely monitored. It’s been clear since the summer that our fate seems to rest with the availability of DCL – and that’s never been truer than it is now.

Dyche has wisely taken his time with bringing DCL back into the fold though, so I would be astonished if he started the game. Most likely he’ll be on the bench and then used in case of emergency.

Mykolenko is back after illness while Nathan Patterson is also being “assessed” after completing 90 minutes for the under-21s early in the week. The Ukrainian will probably start while Patterson will probably make the bench.

Only Andros Townsend is a certain absentee.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS BRENTFORD

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Begovic, Lonergan

Defenders: Keane, Mina, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Holgate, Coady, Mykolenko, Coleman, Patterson (DOUBT), Vinagre, Welch

Midfielders: Doucoure, Iwobi, Davies, Onana, Gueye, Garner, Price

Wingers: Gray, Townsend (INJURED), McNeil, Mills

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin (DOUBT), Maupay, Simms

Tactics and Formation

I wondered if we might changed last week and we didn’t, so it looks to be a 4-1-4-1 for the foreseeable.

Coleman and Mykolenko at full-back. Keane and Tarkowski most likely at centre-back, although there are lots of options there.

Same again in midfield: Gueye anchoring, with Doucoure and Onana working box-to-box with McNeil and Iwobi on the flanks.

I’d wager Gray might start up top again.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 10/10

Seamus Coleman – 8/10

Vitaliy Mykolenko - 10/10

James Tarkowski – 9/10

Michael Keane – 7/10

Amadou Onana – 9/10

Abdoulaye Doucoure – 9/10

Idrissa Gana Gueye – 8/10

Dwight McNeil – 9/10

Alex Iwobi – 8/10

Demarai Gray – 6/10

Bench

Asmir Begovic

Mason Holgate

Conor Coady

Ben Godfrey

James Garner

Tom Davies

Ellis Simms

Neal Maupay

Dominic Calvert-Lewin