The big news for Manchester United fans is Kobie Mainoo getting a long-awaited firsty Premier League start; he starred on the club’s pre-season star and then broke down with injury. Luke Shaw is back at left-back, and Anthony Martial, just 18 months short of his United testimonial – Shaw’s is nextt year – starts in place of the injured Rasmus Hojlund..
Amadou Onana is Sean Dyche’s sole absentee from Everton’s win at Crystal Palace. Idrissa Gana Gueye comes in. Seamus Coleman in the squad for the first time this season since his knee injury.
Injuries have caused huge problems. The return of Luke Shaw to the squad for Everton is welcome news but Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans, Lisandro Martínez and Tyrell Malacia will be missing and Rasmus Højlund is a doubt. If the Dane does start it would give him the chance to score his first Premier League goal. He has scored five in four in the Champions League but struggled domestically. “It [the relationship between players] is growing but you can see we are creating chances,” Ten Hag says. “It’s a matter of time and he will net in the Premier League as well. If you score in the Champions League you will also score in the Premier League.”
Everton director of football Jonathan Thelwell spoke this week.
We are shocked by what we believe is a wholly disproportionate and unjust ruling by the Premier League’s commission. We cannot say anything further on the commission’s findings until the conclusion of the appeal process – and the players and manager cannot be drawn on any specifics relating to the commission’s ruling in the media duties they will be fulfilling in the days and weeks ahead.
There’s a sense that, if you have to be docked 10 points, this might not be the worst season for it to happen. Sheffield United and Luton are clubs of obviously limited resources, while Burnley have been unexpectedly poor. Once it became apparent that Vincent Kompany’s side were not going to produce at the higher level the form that enabled them to dominate the Championship, the three promoted sides felt like a probable bottom three. For those lower mid-table sides glancing anxiously over their shoulders, Bournemouth’s slow start under Andoni Iraola has offered an additional buffer.
Somewhere through the blue smoke and bile a game might break out. Yes, Evertonians are, and many would say rightfully, kicking against the pricks at the Premier League – and their independent commission – for the deduction of 10 points. What had been a season of just about par – 14 points from 12 matches – has become a relegation battle. Luton and Bournemouth winning on Saturday was bad news for Sean Dyche’s team. Can the emotion carry them? It may help to face Manchester United, who have been nobody’s idea of a machine for many years now. The problem might be that United have started winning games, and even if nobody is quite sure how, they are one of the form teams in the Premier League. The atmosphere is bound to be bouncing, and expect a few boos and calls of corruption on the way. Though mind, that tends to happen at most games these days. But this could be special.