Garner back in action as Everton face Chelsea
Everton midfielder James Garner is set to make his comeback from illness as the Toffees host Chelsea at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Garner, who has been impressive for Sean Dyche’s side since joining on loan from Manchester United, missed the 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle United on Thursday, but has recovered in time to face the league leaders.
He replaces Seamus Coleman, who suffered a minor injury in the Newcastle game and is ruled out of the squad. The Irish defender is expected to be sidelined for a week, according to Dyche.
Another boost for Everton is the return of Amadou Onana, who has been out with a calf problem since February. The Hamburg loanee is fit enough to be on the bench, along with goalkeeper Joao Virginia, who has been recalled from his loan spell at Reading.
The rest of the Everton line-up is unchanged from the one that demolished Newcastle, with Jordan Pickford in goal, James Tarkowski leading the defence, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure in midfield, and Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison supporting Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.
The striker, who has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, will be looking to add to his tally against a Chelsea defence that has kept 12 clean sheets in 14 games under Thomas Tuchel.
The German manager has transformed Chelsea into title contenders since taking over from Frank Lampard in January, and will be hoping to extend their four-point lead at the top of the table.
However, he will have to do without N’Golo Kante, who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 2-0 win over Leicester City on Wednesday.
Tuchel is likely to replace him with Mateo Kovacic, who has recovered from a hamstring injury. The rest of the Chelsea team is expected to be the same as the one that beat Leicester, with Edouard Mendy in goal, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger in defence, Reece James and Ben Chilwell as wing-backs, Jorginho and Kovacic in midfield, and Mason Mount, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech in attack.
The game promises to be an exciting encounter between two teams with contrasting styles and ambitions. Everton, who are seventh in the table, are aiming to qualify for Europe, while Chelsea are chasing their first league title since 2017.
The last time the two sides met, Everton won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in December, thanks to a penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson. Chelsea will be keen to avenge that defeat and maintain their momentum, while Everton will be hoping to repeat their performance and cause another upset.
The match kicks off at 4:30 pm local time and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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