Everton are set to take on Manchester United for the third time this season.
Both of the previous encounters, one in the league and one in the FA Cup, saw the Toffees emerge on the losing side.
However, the Blues enter this match on the back of a decent run of form which has seen them grind out two late draws against Chelsea and Tottenham in their last two games.
Meanwhile Erik ten Hag’s side haven’t been at their best in the league of late, with just one win in their previous four matches.
Who replaces Doucoure?
One of the biggest questions going into this match is who will replace Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the Malian suspended for next three matches after striking Harry Kane in Everton’s last match.
There have been some calls from Evertonians to restore Alex Iwobi to his more favoured central role, with Demarai Gray pushed out to the right and Ellis Simms given a start up top.
However, there is also a case to be made for the rest of the line-up to remain the same and for Doucoure to simply be replaced by James Garner, who impressed in his cameo appearance off the bench against Spurs, his first minutes of senior football since the start of the World Cup.
This would see the midfielder make his first start for the club since joining from the Red Devils in the summer.
One to watch – Michael Keane
Another former Manchester United player who can’t escape a mention in this preview is Michael Keane.
The 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Monday seemed to be all about him, with the centre-back giving away the penalty for the visitors’ goal, being on the receiving end of Lucas Moura’s tackle which saw the Brazilian earn a red card and most notably finding the back of the net with a pearler from 20 yards out to earn his side a crucial point.
He is one of several players who has enjoyed a rejuvenation under Sean Dyche, his former boss during his time at Burnley between 2014 and 2017.
He and James Tarkowski will have a challenge keeping a certain United attacker quiet when they make the trip to Old Trafford.
One to watch – Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has indisputably been the star of United’s season, weighing in with 27 goals and nine assists in all competitions.
He ran the Everton defence ragged when the two sides met at Old Trafford back in January, scoring from the spot and earning two assists in that match alone.
A constant threat cutting in from the left, he continues to be the talisman in his side’s push for Champions League football next season and will likely cause the Blues the most issues on Saturday.
Final thoughts
Manchester United represent one of the toughest opponents Everton have faced since the appointment of Dyche and historically, Old Trafford has always been an unkind ground to the Toffees.
However, the manager has already began to transform the mentality around the club at the moment and they never seem out of a match, no matter the opponent.
If they put in a performance similar to the ones seen against Chelsea and Spurs, the Blues could very well come away from Old Trafford with at least something to shout about.
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