Everton team news: Estupinan, Ferguson and Lamptey back in training

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A look ahead to our opening Premier League game at Goodison Park.

2024-08-15T11:40+01:00

Evan Ferguson has returned to training ahead of our fixture against Everton. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion kick off their eighth season in the Premier League on Saturday when we travel to Everton.

It will be our 12th and final visit to Goodison Park with Everton due to move to the new Everton Stadium at Bramley Moor Dock in time for the 2025-26 campaign.

Team news

At his pre-match media conference, Fabian Hurzeler said that Tariq Lamptey, Pervis Estupinan and Evan Ferguson are all back in training. He said, "It's great news, but I'm not sure if they're ready for the first match."

Previous meetings

The clubs first met in the FA Cup in 1913, a tie Everton won in a replay after a goalless draw, and again in the same competition 11 years later. But it wasn’t until 1979 that we first played Everton in the league, and it took until 3 January 2022 for us to win for the first time at Goodison Park when Alexis Mac Allister (2) and Dan Burn netted in a 3-2 victory. A year later Albion won there 4-1 while last season’s Goodison game finished in a 1-1 draw after Kaoru Mitoma scored a late equaliser.

Kaoru Mitoma equalises against Everton at Goodison Park,

Our overall record is: 6 wins, 8 draws and 11 defeats. This will be the first time the clubs have played each other in August.

In charge

Sean Dyche has led Everton to safety in his two seasons in charge since replacing Frank Lampard in January 2023. He has won 22 and lost 24 of his 63 games but they would have finished 12th – a place below Albion – last season had it not been for the eight points they were deducted for breaching profit and sustainability rules.

The experienced Sean Dyche starts his third season in charge of Everton.

Summer business

It has been a quiet window so far for Everton but Irish central defender Jake O’Brien, who has joined from Lyon and could debut against Albion with Jarred Branthwaite recovering from a minor groin injury. French attacking midfielder Iliman Ndiaye was signed from Marseille and Tim Iroegbunam is a central midfielder signed from Aston Villa. As part of that deal, Lewis Dobbin and Amadou Onana moved to Villa Park while defender Ben Godfrey has moved to Serie A with Atalanta.

Pre-season

Everton rounded off their preparations by holding AS Roma to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park last Saturday when Dominic Calvert-Lewin got their second-half equaliser. Six friendlies saw wins over Preston (3-0) and Motherwell (6-0), a 3-3 draw against Sligo Rovers and defeat to Coventry City (3-0) and Salford City (2-1).

Player to watch

Abdoulaye Doucoure tussles with Lewis Dunk at the Amex last season. Dunk scored a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

With Amadou Onana moving on, Abdoulaye Doucoure looks as if he will have more responsibility in Everton’s midfield this season. The 31-year-old Frenchman, who joined the club from Watford in 2020, scored seven league goals from central midfield last season and contributed one assist.

Match officials