Everton at Leicester: Predicted Line-Up | Right-Back Dilemma

This is a six-pointer of monumental proportions. A defeat will most likely signal the end of Everton’s 72-year stay in England’s top flight. A win could see the Toffees vault out of the relegation zone with just four games to player after tonight.

The stakes couldn’t be much higher, so how will Sean Dyche line his Toffees up at the King Power Stadium on Monday night?

Let’s take a look…

Who’s Out?

It’s a short turnaround following Thursday’s bleak defeat to Newcastle, so there’s not much news.

Mason Holgate returns after a one game suspension, while Seamus Coleman continues to be “assessed” following a hamstring injury.

Andros Townsend and Ruben Vinagre are Everton’s only certain absentees.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS LEICESTER

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Begovic, Lonergan,

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

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

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

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin, Maupay, Simms

Tactics and Formation

Sean Dyche’s preferred Everton setup is quite clear. 4-5-1: Pickford, Coleman, Mykolenko, Keane, Tarkowski, Iwobi, Doucoure, Gueye, Onana, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.

Only Coleman isn’t expected to be fit for this one, so the question is who will replace him?

Nathan Patterson is a rough diamond (and I’d argue Everton’s best right-back even now), but he clearly hasn’t earned the trust of Dyche.

His preferred replacements at right back have been Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate, both of whom have been pretty woeful. Largely because they’re not full-backs.

Nevertheless, it seems most likely that Dyche will give Godfrey the nod again.

The only other seemingly possible change could be Demarai Gray given a start ahead of Alex Iwobi, but it’s pretty unlikely.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 10/10

Ben Godfrey – 6/10

Vitaliy Mykolenko - 9/10

James Tarkowski – 9/10

Michael Keane – 9/10

Abdoulaye Doucoure – 9/10

Idrissa Gana Gueye – 9/10

Dwight McNeil – 9/10

Alex Iwobi – 8/10

Amadou Onana - 8/10

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 9/10

Bench

Asmir Begovic

Conor Coady

Nathan Patterson

Yerry Mina

Tom Davies

James Garner

Demarai Gray

Ellis Simms

Neal Maupay