
Everton have picked up a fresh injury concern with captain Seamus Coleman ruled out for the clash against Burnley at home.
Jack Grealish is out for the remainder of the season while Charly Alcaraz, who was withdrawn from the squad late before the game against Manchester United, is also expected to be out of contention.
While sharing news of the fresh injury concerns, Everton boss David Moyes remained tight-lipped.
“We’ve got a couple of things that I wouldn’t reveal at the moment,” he said in the pre-match press conference.
“But obviously, Charly Alcaraz is out and is not back on the grass and Seamus Coleman picked up a little bit of a nick during training on Friday and missed out at the weekend.
“He won’t be available for this game but we’re hoping that he’s not going to be too long.”
The headlines heading into this match against Burnley obviously surround Everton’s home form. The Toffees haven’t won at Hill Dickinson Stadium since early December. They also lost back-to-back games at home against Bournemouth and Manchester United before scripting a thrilling 3-2 win over Newcastle away.
Asked about the prospect of facing 19th-placed Burnley at home, Moyes said, “It’s the business we are in. You know the games you’re probably expected to win and not to. That doesn’t change the media perspective but we go into the game knowing if we can get back-to-back wins, it can be really important.
“If we have to take all the points away from home and don't do so well as home, if you look through the history books and look at the teams who have moved to new stadiums, it's never been that easy, certainly in the first year.
“If you’re a real football person, considered and studying Premier League football... Aston Villa, who have been magnificent, go to Wolves and find it tough. Burnley have come up with some really good results, at Chelsea recently, and there isn’t any given. Expectations are there but sometimes we always can’t quite reach them.”
Reader Comments (27)
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2 Posted 02/03/2026 at 16:01:15
You have never reached them, Mr Moyes.
3 Posted 02/03/2026 at 16:39:44
Turn up the dial instead of damping down expectations!
4 Posted 02/03/2026 at 18:41:50
5 Posted 02/03/2026 at 18:53:52
Knell Dave! You've obtained a good result. Write some statement down, read it for coherence, and then stick to the damn script. Geez.
6 Posted 02/03/2026 at 21:16:44
Much as I love Seamus, let's face it, he is well and truly broken. I have never understood why he has been seen as a first or second choice RB recently. Seamus of a decade or so ago, well that's RB sorted.
7 Posted 03/03/2026 at 02:24:16
8 Posted 03/03/2026 at 03:38:20
Sounds not serious but an indication that his body has broken down. I know how he feels!
9 Posted 03/03/2026 at 03:50:52
Seriously, why does Moyes even bring up his name in the press conferences? As much as we all love Seamus, everybody knows that he is finished at the Premier League level.
Sadly, I doubt that we will ever see him again in a Blue jersey.
10 Posted 03/03/2026 at 04:50:24
It might mean one end of the bench being raised off the ground, or worse still, having to put some youngsters on it especially as we are without the third keeper.
Remember, Mr Moyes sees them on the grass.
11 Posted 03/03/2026 at 07:13:54
Even though Moyess rock blunted Newcastle's scissors, football has other permutations than that.
Coleman may or may not be injured - but he's definitely not fit for the Premier League anyway. He is taking one for the team freeing up space on the bench and Moyes is preping us for changes.
God preserve me from Moyes having too much choice to 2nd guessing himself with.
Hopefully, when he does his Rachel Riley and picks 4 from the top line and 5 from the bottom... let's face it Pickford & Beto have to start... giving us the 9 outfield starting names – hopefully he gets it right.
I know there's no easy games… it's Burnley for fucks sake.
12 Posted 03/03/2026 at 08:08:16
Coleman may or may not be injured...
Derek! Come on, mate. And I thought that I was cynical!
13 Posted 03/03/2026 at 08:40:18
Hands up if you think George will start?
14 Posted 03/03/2026 at 08:47:01
"If you look through the history books and look at the teams who have moved to new stadiums, it's never been that easy, certainly in the first year."
So he's turned to history books to divert attention away from some of his crap tactics, and team selection at home.
Mid-table Moyes, forget Europe.
15 Posted 03/03/2026 at 09:01:19
Southampton FC
The Dell ➝ St Mary's (2001–02)
• Final season: 35 home pts
• First season: 26 home pts
–9 points
Manchester City FC
Maine Road ➝ Etihad (2003–04)
• Final season: 29 home pts
• First season: 24 home pts
–5 points
West Ham United FC
Upton Park ➝ London Stadium (2016–17)
• Final season: 34 home pts
• First season: 25 home pts
–9 points
Arsenal FC
Highbury ➝ Emirates (2006–07)
• Final season: 45 home pts
• First season: 42 home pts
–3 points
Tottenham Hotspur FC
White Hart Lane ➝ Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• Final season: 53 home pts
• First full season: 38 home pts
–15 points
16 Posted 03/03/2026 at 09:51:33
He added to that, he said we also have a couple of injuries which he wasn't prepared to speculate about. So I think we might be missing 2 players who played on Saturday.
17 Posted 03/03/2026 at 10:06:18
18 Posted 03/03/2026 at 10:21:01
We play the same way whether home or away. Fans expect the home team to attack if not the atmosphere dies. It's usually loud for first 10 minutes or so then the players revert to type.
Pickford sees more of the ball than our midfielders do or Tarkowski launches one which comes straight back again. It sends everyone to sleep.
19 Posted 03/03/2026 at 10:26:51
I've given my ticket away for the last 6 home games, I can't watch the Turkish Delight football we are playing.
After the set-up and style of play vs Newcastle, I'm thinking of going but fearful he will revert to type.
20 Posted 03/03/2026 at 12:55:37
Moyes is a coward who 'takes a knife to a gunfight', shuts up shop away from home but wins more Premier League points on the road since his return than any and all other teams bar Arsenal.
No strikers. No full-backs. None. This is the worst 'squad' I can remember us having for a very long time... and we're 8th. Like him or not, and I don't particularly, Moyes has worked a miracle since he came back, so hats off to him.
21 Posted 03/03/2026 at 13:32:00
Moyes inherited a very weak squad and has added Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall, Barry, Aznou, George, Dibling and Rohl. That's stronger than what Dyche had at his disposal.
Moyes has done well since his return but a leopard can't change it's spots and the lowering of expectations is his default. Something a generation of older fans can't get on board with.
At this time of year, I would rather play mid-table teams than the ones fighting relegation. I can't see it being one for the purists.
22 Posted 03/03/2026 at 13:52:07
How sad you have wasted your time looking up stats to post your meaningless opinion.
Implicity you're stating, Moyes' mindset is, "Historically all teams who move into a new stadium have a bad first season at home -- therefore, it's okay if we also have a lousy record at home in our first season."
I don't want an Everton manager to be even thinking like this! What does it do to the players from a motivation point of view?
Moyes should burn his history books. He's supposed to be a football manager, not an effing historian. I'd advise you to do the same, as you're repeating the same bollocks as Moyes.
23 Posted 03/03/2026 at 15:19:10
Like all home games I am worried about tonights match.
.
24 Posted 03/03/2026 at 15:50:23
He has also lost Doucoure, DCL, Ashley Young, Onana, Godfrey etc. so while the quality went up in one or two cases we definitely lost out on the goal threat front.
I think the issue at home is the pitch is apparently 5 metres longer than GP was so we are more open to breakaways and while HD is loud to begin with, impatience sets in and the fans frustration gets to the players.
I have no doubt we are playing better football than under Dyche (It couldnt be any worse) but we are still missing that killer instinct in front of goal and at home that is very frustrating.
25 Posted 03/03/2026 at 16:10:27
26 Posted 03/03/2026 at 16:15:54
Youve put your own thoughts in quotation marks. Thats says quite a lot about your apparent belief that if you think something, it must be true. It isnt.
What is true is the fact Moyes stated and the evidence I provided to prove it.
27 Posted 03/03/2026 at 19:18:03
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1 Posted 02/03/2026 at 15:45:43
Thanks for that information, Moyesey!