Nothing is confirmed until David Moyes' prematch press conference on Friday, but with Michael Keane having left the last match against Crystal Palace due to injury, there is concern over the thin nature of Everton's defense.
Jarrad Branthwaite is likely not ready to be back just yet, and even if he were fit, the possibility of him stepping right in and playing a full 90 minutes seems slim. That leaves James Tarkowski and his new extended contract and Jake O'Brien, who has been the club's starting right back for every Premier League match this season, as the only first-team center backs.
This will leave manager David Moyes with plenty of headaches if Keane isn't fit, although there may be options that he can consider. None of them is ideal, but the situation is almost certain to lead to a U21 defender, like Reece Welch, on the bench for Saturday's trip to the Etihad.
Option 1: O'Brien slides inside, James Garner starts at right back
James Garner has been Moyes' Swiss Army knife this season, starting matches at left back and in central midfield so far. He's been a much-improved player in 2025, although his limitations were clear as a right-footed left back, even though he did his best to overcome them.
In this scenario, Garner will play in his third starting position of the season after his right back cameo against Palace. He isn't as defensively stout as Jake O'Brien, but he can provide a lot more going forward than the Irish international.
The issue is whether that's the right move against this City team, in a situation where Everton is unlikely to see much of the ball.
This option also means that Tim Iroegbunam would be forced to start in midfield, assuming someone like Merlin Röhl is still not fit, and the young English midfielder has been better as a substitute than a starter during his Everton career.
Option 2: O'Brien slides inside, Seamus Coleman starts at right back
In another year, this might have been the obvious choice. But in that other year, Coleman would have already been the starter and this would have been a non-issue, so there's that.
For this set up, Moyes opts to go for a more defensive-minded look, at least in theory. Seemingly, the club captain isn't going to be bombing up and down the right side of the pitch for Everton anymore, making his role more focused on holding his defensive position. Against City, that likely makes sense.
The concern here, of course, is how long Coleman can go and whether he can hang with City's attackers. But it's a relatively pragmatic approach that allows Garner to remain in midfield next to Idrissa Gana Gueye, a partnership that's worked well this year.
Option 3: O'Brien stays at right back, Reece Welch starts next to Tarkowski
This is the least likely and most unconventional of the three options, and one I highly doubt Moyes would employ unless he felt desperate.
Reece Welch just turned 22 and has never featured in a Premier League match, although he did make a 2-minute cameo in a 2022 FA Cup match against Boreham Wood at Goodison Park. The young Englishman hasn't played a ton with the U21s either, featuring in just 22 matches and 1980 minutes for them over the last two campaigns.
The thing that makes this move the least likely for Moyes is that Welch cannot even force his way into the lineup for the U21 side, with Aled Thomas and William Tamen proving to be the preferred pairing for manager Paul Tait.
Welch was on the bench for Everton's final day win over Newcastle to close out last season, so he's at least on Moye's radar.
But it is highly unlikely he'll be thrown to the wolves in a match like this one, even if he is probably the next man up with a bench role yet again.