Everton manager David Moyes has just 15 fit and available senior outfield players as his side prepare for Thursday's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at home to Newcastle United. The Blues are coming off back-to-back 2-0 Premier League defeats, at home to Chelsea and away to Arsenal, and now face a quick turnaround against top-flight rivals at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Injury blows hit a paper-thin squad
Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish missed Saturday's loss at Arsenal, through concussion and illness respectively, while Vitalii Mykolenko joined them on the sidelines after sustaining a second-half knock. That leaves Moyes with severely limited defensive options for the cup clash.
Should Branthwaite and Mykolenko be ruled out, midfielders James Garner and Merlin Rohl could deputise at full-backs, as they ended up doing against Arsenal. Jake O'Brien could move from the centre to the right, with Michael Keane coming into the heart of the backline. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, left out against his former club Arsenal, could return at either right-back or left-back.
Midfield and attack reshuffle
If Garner and Rohl start at full-back, Hayden Hackney could start in midfield alongside Harrison Armstrong and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Moyes would like to call on Christian Norgaard, but his cameo against Chelsea suggests the summer signing needs to be eased in rather than thrown in.
Tyrique George was one of the few bright sparks against Arsenal and is almost certain to start on Thursday, but Brennan Johnson struggled and faces pressure for his place from Tyler Dibling. Thierno Barry is the club's sole first-team centre-forward, with little chance of a breather against Newcastle, although Charly Alcaraz could be an alternative up front, as could Johnson.
Transfer window fallout
It is coming up to 31 years since Everton last won a trophy, and the club's limited squad hammers home just how bad an end to the transfer window it was under owners The Friedkin Group, who soon after made it clear they would be willing to sell the club less than two years after buying it.
Potential team v Newcastle if Branthwaite, Mykolenko and Grealish miss out: Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Garner; Armstrong, Hackney; Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Barry.
