The good news for Everton FC this weekend is that they’ll get Jack Grealish back from suspension. Having Grealish available again is a huge boost for manager David Moyes, who has plenty of selection issues to contend with when his side visits Aston Villa on Sunday. Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye will be playing for a different side on Sunday, the Senegal national team, in the Africa Cup of Nations final. Meanwhile Michael Keane remains unavailable, due to his suspension.
Then you have the injured contingent, which currently rolls five deep: Carlos Alcaraz (unspecified) Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring), Seamus Coleman (hamstring), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (thigh) and Timothy Iroegbunam (groin).
Aston Villa vs Everton FC
Kickoff: 4:30pm, Sun. Jan. 18, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Team News: Aston Villa Everton
Result Probability: Everton 18% Aston Villa 58% Draw 24%
PL Standing, Form: Everton 12th, 29 pts LDWLD Aston Villa 3rd, 43 pts, WWLWD
Everton Team News
Moyes will not be able to welcome any of them back to the squad this weekend, but he did provide updates on their statuses earlier on today. As Moyes said on Friday: “Both Jarrad (Branthwaite) and Seamus (Coleman) have been back on the grass. They’ve been back in training. They’re back in amongst it.”
So both should be available within a week or two. And on Dewsbury-Hall and Tim Iroegbunam, he said: “They’re getting closer, but they’re not training yet.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.