Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton side will be looking to get back to winning ways in the league this weekend when they travel to Bramall Lane to take on high-flying Sheffield United. The Toffees are coming into this tie on a four-game winless streak, a run that extends to the first league outing of July. Not only have the Merseyside club won just one fixture after the resumption of football, but they also fell to an unexpected 1-1 draw against lowly Aston Villa in their last outing as well.
Sheffield United, on the other hand, have been in a decent run of form since the return of football. Although their most recent tie saw them get completely outclassed by Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City, the comprehensive 3-0 win against Chelsea is sure to come as a motivating sign. Goals have been extremely hard to come by for the Toffees so far, and the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will have to step up to the plate if they hope to get anything out of this vital encounter.
Team News
The biggest injury miss for the Toffees is sure to be the absence of dependable young central defender Mason Holgate. The centre-half picked up an unfortunate ankle injury during the fixture against the Villans and has been ruled out for the upcoming tie. Cenk Tosun and Yerry Mina are two star names who are currently unavailable for selection as well. Ancelotti doesn’t have the option of utilising either Jean-Philippe Gbamin or Fabian Delph either, as the duo are both still on the sidelines too.
Here Is The Predicted 4-4-2 Everton Lineup Vs Sheffield United:
Predicted 4-4-2 Everton Lineup Vs Sheffield United
Formation: 4-4-2
Defence
English number one Jordan Pickford has been a stellar presence in between the sticks for the Toffees this season, and his place at the back has never really been under question. In front of the shot-stopper, expect Ancelotti to opt for the same centre-half partnership that had finished the game against Villa in midweek. The injury to Holgate means that the gaffer will be forced to give Jarrad Branthwaite a start against the Blades, alongside Michael Keane. Lucas Digne and Seamus Coleman are set to take up the full-back slots as usual.
Midfield
The injuries to key names like Delph and Gbamin means that the same midfield duo from the weekend are set to continue at the heart of the side. As good as Tom Davies has been in glimpses, it must be conceded that Andre Gomes is the more influential player in the Everton engine room. The former Barcelona man will be partnered by young Davies, and the pair of them will be responsible for finding spaces in between the usually deep Sheffield United lines. Alex Iwobi could retain his place on the flank, with Anthony Gordon expected to replace Bernard on the other side.
Attack
The centre-forward partnership of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin does look like it’s here to stay for a while. While the Brazilian does the hard work of putting himself about and causing problems in the back-line with his energy, the Englishman uses his physical prowess to work spaces in between the opposition defenders. The pair of them have displayed decent enough link-up play over the last few weeks as well, but one thing that has been missing is goals on a consistent basis.
