Sean Dyche may be confronted with a variety of selection issues for the visit of Fulham. Everton maintained their Premier League resurgence at Portman Road on Saturday. Sean Dyche’s side won 2-0 over newly promoted Ipswich Town. Goals by Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane before halftime placed the Blues in command of the game, and they went on to win four consecutive games, accumulating eight points.
The recent run of form represents a significant improvement from the first few weeks of the season, when the Blues suffered four successive defeats in the Premier League. The next game is at home against Fulham, and Dyche could face a number of significant decisions. The coach faces arguably the most difficult challenge in defence. Jarrad Branthwaite appears to be available for the upcoming game, and being the Blues’ best defender, he would likely return to the club under normal circumstances.
However, James Tarkowski and Keane have finally found some coherence as a centre-back pairing in recent weeks, with the latter bringing a goalscoring possibility as well. Last time out, Vitalii Mykolenko returned to Everton’s full-back positions, adding some balance to the defence, while Ashley Young continued his good form at right-back. Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson could provide some competition if they return from injury. Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure were a superb midfield tandem for Ipswich. With James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam sidelined, Orel Mangala is the only other possibility for a deeper role right now.
Ahead of that duo, the front four appears fixed in stone, barring any unexpected alterations. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line against Fulham following a mixed day at Portman Road, with Dwight McNeil supporting. Ndiaye will lead from the left, with Jack Harrison on the right. Dyche’s attacking options off the bench were severely limited at Ipswich, as Jesper Lindstrom was unable to play due to sickness. Youssef Chermiti and Armando Broja are also out owing to injuries.
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