Everton lineup vs. Nottingham Forest: Predicted XI for Premier League clash

Everton are set to be without six players for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Michael Keane was left out of the matchday squad for the Toffees’ 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Tuesday after playing through the previous match against Newcastle (4-1 defeat) with an unspecified injury.

Manager David Moyes is hopeful that Keane will not be sidelined for too long, but this weekend’s clash with Forest will likely come too soon for the defender, who joins Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman (both hamstring) and Merlin Rohl (hernia) in the treatment room.

Meanwhile, Idrissa Gueye will serve the second of a three-match ban this weekend and is joined on the naughty step by fellow midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Bournemouth.

Moyes is down to his bare bones in a few positions and it remains to be seen whether Nathan Patterson will be fit to start at right-back having only just returned from a long-term foot problem.

If not, James Garner is expected to continue in a makeshift defensive role, with Jake O’Brien to partner James Tarkowski at centre-back as Vitaly Mykolenko continues at left-back.

Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Carlos Alvarez both prefer to operate in an advanced midfield role, but they could both be deployed in deeper positions this weekend, with Dwight McNeil potentially handed a rare start in a central role.

Jack Grealish, who scored the winner at Bournemouth, and Iliman Ndiaye are both set to continue on the flanks, while Thierno Barry will hope to start his sixth successive match up from ahead of Beto. 

Everton possible starting lineup: Pickford; Garner; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Dewsbury-Hall, Alcaraz; Ndiaye, McNeil, Grealish; Barry

> Click here to see how Nottingham Forest could line up for this contest