Sean Dyche must take big Everton selection risk by starting one star v Newcastle

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Everton are back in action again tonight, but face a tough return to Goodison Park as they host Newcastle United.

The visitors come into the clash in fine form despite their ever-increasing injury list, with Eddie Howe having navigated huge obstacles to have won three of their last four Premier League games, against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal no less.

However, the crucial common denominator in those results is that they hosted the clashes. A trip to Merseyside against an equally in-form Toffees outfit poses a huge threat to such fine form.

Sean Dyche is not without his injury woes though, having admitted just yesterday that whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit, Amadou Onana remains ‘touch and go’.

Given how important the likes of Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes are for the Magpies, perhaps starting the Belgian powerhouse is a calculated risk the 52-year-old manager must make in order to claim a huge result tonight.

How good is Amadou Onana?

The 22-year-old’s importance to Everton is arguably unquantifiable, although many have tried to do so.

After all, his physical presence often proves imperative, standing at 6 foot 4 but pairing such size with a technical quality that makes him so special.

His 85% pass accuracy is actually the highest of any within Dyche’s squad too, which he blends with 0.7 key passes, 2.5 tackles and 6.8 ball recovers per game to earn an admirable 7.16 average rating, via Sofascore.

Just last year saw the £100k-per-week titan lauded by compatriot Roberto Martinez, with Belgian outfit HLN branding him ‘Everton’s metronome’.

Well, with his ability to control the play from the midfield, and the physicality to dominate his opposition too, this is a notion supported by recent performances.

One set of statistics from back in October even saw Onana rank highly in a number of other key metrics among his Everton teammates, highlighting him as comfortably one of their most influential players.

If they are to stand a chance at quelling the immense threat of their visitors tonight, it is a risk Dyche must make.