Match Preview
Everton’s next Premier League game is against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Amex Stadium, with David Moyes still unable to call on his more creative players who can carry the game to the opposition in what will be his 700th Premier League game as a manager.
In his pre-match press conference, Moyes revealed that Dwight McNeil might need surgery to cure the knee injury that has kept him on the sidelines since early December, with five other players also missing:
“It looks like we’re probably going to have to get him back to the specialist and see – I’m saying surgery, it might be they decide something else – but he’s going to go back and see the specialist again. It’s a real blow because we need him back for things like deliveries and set pieces but also for his general play.
“By all accounts, everyone has told me he’s performed very well for Everton recently. So, not to have him right now is a big blow.
“I was only just told about this about half an hour before the press conference. He (McNeil) was out on the grass this morning and they were trying to get him going but he doesn’t feel right. So they were always saying if he didn’t come through today they would take him back to the specialists, so I’m only relaying what I’ve been told.
“If you get opened up (surgery), I don’t think many people come back before four-six weeks. But it obviously depends on what they do. My general feeling is they don’t think it’s anything so bad, it’s not like he’s got a cruciate or anything like that, I don’t think so, so hopefully he’ll be okay.”
Moyes had better news on James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam, neither of whom have featured since the goalless draw with Newcastle Utd on 5 October; both have been in training and are on their way back to fitness, but won’t feature this weekend on the South Coast.
“James is a wee bit further on than Tim at the moment. Tim’s been back in training the last three or four days. Jimmy’s been back in and around training, as well.
“In an ideal scenario, you’d be trying to give them a couple of Under-21s games if possible and get them some more practice, but if we need to use them, then I would do. They’ll not be too far away because I just need them back in and around the squad to give that little bit more depth.”
Seamus Coleman has been struggling with his fitness for most of the season, and is still out for this one. Youssef Chermiti now has a thigh issue after recovering from his foot problem that needed surgery last August. And Armando Broja is sidelined for 3 months with an ankle injury suffered in a 2-0 FA Cup win over Peterborough earlier this month.
Kick-Off: 3 pm Saturday 25 January 2025
Referee: Tim Robinson
Assistants: Tim Wood and Steve Meredith
Fourth Official: Tom Nield
Video Assistant Referee: Graham Scott
Assistant VAR: Gary Beswick