Everton vs Fleetwood: Team news update ahead of third round of EFL Cup

With the third round of the EFL Cup already at the doorstep, let’s take a look at any fresh injuries and team news before Everton take on Fleetwood Town and hopefully make it 4 wins out of 4 to start the season.

With 4 games in 12 days, it’s going to be a busy time for Carlo Ancelotti. He’s going to need to rotate his squad to decrease the risk of another injury but he also needs to guarantee the win as the Carabao Cup could be the one piece of silverware Everton can get this season.

In terms of injuries, it’s a definite mixed bag this time around. After a knock in last weeks EFL Cup game against Salford City, Jarrad Branthwaite will be unavailable after his scan revealed torn ligaments in the ankle and will be out for around a month. Couple this with Jean-Philippe Gbamin still out for another month and England centre back, Mason Holgate, out for up to three months, the defensive line is looking a little thin.

This will most likely mean a back line of Niels Nkounkou, Jonjo Kenny, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina. Half with fresh blood and half with experience, it should make for great watching.

The good news it that Ancelotti has said Fabian Delph is back in the line up and was purposely kept out of last weekends 5-2 win against the Baggies to make sure he is fit for Wednesday’s EFL Cup game.

After Alex Iwobi’s absence for first two games, he will also be available against Fleetwood Town in the midfield. With ever more speculation of him being sold in the last few weeks of the transfer window, he’ll want to leave an impression in case Ancelotti has a change of heart.

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With the Carabao Cup getting more and more serious, I would be surprised if any of Everton’s new signings didn’t make an appearance this time around to replace the likes of Bernard or Tom Davies. I’d definitely like to see Abdoulaye Doucoure get in some minutes for some fast paced action and push the play up the field.

I’d also love to see Allan play and control the game as much as he did against both Tottenham and West Brom. Against the Baggies on Saturday he had a pass accuracy of 89% and a total of 10 recoveries. We need that in the midfield to create chances and seal a win.

Lastly, with everyone up front available I’d imagine Anthony Gordon will play again after his blistering performance against Salford City last week. He was a constant threat on the left wing all evening and is quickly establishing himself as a reliable and solid player. Moise Kean had an average performance last time round so I would imagine Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin will make a start to guarantee Everton make it through.

Everton as a team are becoming a real threat. They have a lot of talent to pick from now and it’s giving Ancelotti a lot to think about going into Wednesday’s game against Fleetwood Town. He needs to pick wisely to keep key players away from injury but guarantee the win.