Match Preview
Everton travel to the City Ground this weekend needing the lift of a positive result after the setback they suffered against Manchester United at Goodison Park.
The Blues went down to a somewhat harsh but, nonetheless, fairly demoralising 3-0 defeat to the Red Devils and were left five points adrift of safety thanks to the 10-point deduction handed down by the Premier League-appointed independent commission and Luton Town’s inconvenient win over Crystal Palace.
Sean Dyche’s men have been at their best on their travels so far this season, though, and they would have felt as though they did enough in this fixture last season to have taken home all three points, so there is reason for optimism heading into Saturday’s clash in the East Midlands.
Everton do have injury concerns, however, with Amadou Onana set to miss out with what has become a troublesome calf issue and it has emerged that Dominic Calvert-Lewin experienced tightness in the same muscle during the defeat to United and his fitness has been managed through the week.
The striker has trained carefully indoors along with Onana, separately from the rest of the team, to give him the best chance of being fit to face Forest.
There was positive news on Beto, though, as he resumed full training after missing out last Sunday with a knock picked up at Finch Farm and he will be available.
Meanwhile, Seamus Coleman put another week’s worth of training work behind him as he builds towards his own match fitness and he could make an appearance off the bench if the opportunity arises.
For their part, Forest approach the game sitting in 15th place, with fewer points than Everton would have without the excessive penalty levied against them, with manager Steve Cooper back under scrutiny.
They’ve only won once in all competitions since the start of September but that solitary victory was a handsome 2-0 Midlands derby triumph over high-flying Aston Villa and, over the past season or so, they have one of the best home records in the top flight.
Cooper will be without his main striker Taiwo Awoniyi and Felipe Monteiro while Ibrahim Sangare is a doubt because of illness but, otherwise, Forest will be at full strength.
Kick-off: 5:30pm, Saturday 2 December, 2023
Referee: Paul Tierney
VAR: Michael Oliver
Last Time: Nottingham Forest 2 – 2 Everton
Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner, Harrison, McNeil, Doucouré, Calvert-Lewin