Everton take on Lille in their final pre-season friendly at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with kick-off at 3pm BST. The Blues come into the match on the back of a 3-1 win over Premier League rivals Newcastle United in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Manager David Moyes could be boosted by the return of key pair Jordan Pickford and Jarrad Branthwaite for the pre-season finale, as well as new signings Christian Norgaard and Brennan Johnson.
Team News and New Signings
Christian Norgaard did not feature against Stuttgart or Newcastle United, but there is hope of a first glimpse of the midfielder this afternoon. There is also a strong chance winger Brennan Johnson will feature, after his signing from Crystal Palace on Monday did not arrive in time for him to play against Newcastle.
Jarrad Branthwaite is expected to return to the squad after missing the Newcastle match. The club explained: "Jarrad Branthwaite is not part of Everton’s matchday squad for this evening’s pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in Edinburgh as part of his planned reintegration programme following the hamstring injury he sustained towards the end of last season. The centre-back captained the Blues and played 80 minutes at Stuttgart on Saturday, having also started in friendlies against Bolton Wanderers and Hamburg this summer. Branthwaite will continue full training at Finch Farm tomorrow ahead of being involved in the Blues’ final warm-up match with French side LOSC Lille at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday (3pm BST)."
Opposition and Match Preview
Lille are managed by former Everton assistant manager Davide Ancelotti. Their squad includes World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi, a target for Manchester City; Ethan Mbappe, brother of France superstar Kylian; highly rated winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo; and Olivier Giroud, a former Everton transfer target who is still going strong at 39.
It is sure to be a good test for Everton, but David Moyes' men should be confident given their midweek performance against Newcastle in the Scottish capital.
