Everton captain James Tarkowski has said the club must not feel sorry for themselves as they prepare to face Newcastle United twice in five days, insisting the squad's small size is not an excuse for cup failure.
The Blues have never won the League Cup but enter Thursday night's tie with the Magpies aiming for a fourth quarter-final appearance since 2019. Everton's last major trophy was the FA Cup in 1995, while Newcastle claimed the Carabao Cup in 2025.
Tarkowski demands response after defeats
Tarkowski, 33, is eager to join the list of recent winners, and despite a troubled transfer window leaving gaps in the squad, David Moyes' side had enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season until recently. However, defeats to London clubs Chelsea and Arsenal in the past fortnight both ended 2-0, and the captain hopes the first of two meetings with Newcastle can spark a turnaround.
“We’ve got to demand [we don’t feel sorry for ourselves],” he said. “The squad is small, so it’s only us who can go out on that pitch and play. It’s good for the lads because you know you’re going to get plenty of minutes at the moment.
Positive outlook despite small squad
“We need to start picking up results. Even though we won against Ipswich (before the international break), it feels, not like a slump, but it feels like we need to work our way out of this. It’s a big game on Thursday in the cup that we’re looking forward to.”
Everton hope to have Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish available for the visit of the Magpies, with Branthwaite missing the defeat at Arsenal due to concussion protocols and Grealish absent through illness. Vitalii Mykolenko was substituted through injury at the Emirates Stadium and is unlikely to have recovered in time, with James Garner potentially switching to left-back in the Ukrainian's absence.
