Everton may have seen their home draw to Fulham as a favourable one at first, but the recent form of their opponents has added some fire to what was already set to be an intriguing contest.
As Marco Silva makes yet another return to Goodison Park, he will be hoping to replicate the result that saw them claim an opening-day win in the Premier League.
And, having won back-to-back games by a five-goal margin, his side are flying despite their loss at the weekend.
However, they are set to be plagued by the suspension of a key man, which will hurt their chances of claiming a result. Frustratingly for Sean Dyche, he too has seen his side weakened in the last week.
A slew of key injuries will force a selection headache for the 52-year-old, with few absences proving as frustrating as Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Described as ‘touch-and-go’, it is unlikely that the Ukraine international will be risked given how important he has been this season.
Therefore, perhaps Ben Godfrey could be set to reprise his makeshift role at left-back to facilitate a return to the favoured four-at-the-back.
How good has Vitaliy Mykolenko been for Everton this season?
Mykolenko’s importance to Everton is best outlined through their reaction to his absence on Saturday, with Dyche completely altering the system to offset his absence.
The left-back has been resolute and relentless down his flank, silencing most wingers who seek to bypass him.
And whilst they did impress against the Clarets, they were an admittedly weak side who offered little threat.
Fulham likely will, and therefore Godfrey’s ability to feature at full-back could be utilised to allow their return to a system that has brought such a fine run of form.
He will have his work cut out replacing the former Dinamo Kyiv star though, even if he was lauded by Carlo Ancelotti for deputising in that role back in 2021. The legendary Italian noted: ‘He’s powerful, he has a lot of energy, tactically intelligent, really aggressive in the duels and so he can play in different positions and this is really important.’
These are attributes Mykolenko has exhibited too this campaign, with the defender posting an impressive three clearances, 3.6 tackles and 6.1 ball recoveries per game in the league, via Sofascore.
In fact, only Joao Palhinha of Fulham boasts more tackles than him per game in the entire Premier League.
It promises to be a real battle at Goodison Park tonight, with Godfrey’s ability to keep that left flank locked down certain to go a long way towards sending Everton to the EFL Cup semi-final.
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