Everton will host Sunderland in the third round of this year’s FA Cup. Both teams are likely to make changes after a busy holiday schedule. Everton has faced two tough home results recently, including a 4-2 loss to Brentford and a 1-1 draw against Wolves, who are at the bottom of the league. Sunderland is dealing with the absence of six players due to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which has left manager Regis Le Bris with limited options. This situation has led to fatigue in some players during their recent loss to Brentford.
While both teams aim for a cup run, injuries, suspensions, and the need to rotate players will likely lead to slightly weaker lineups than usual. Here’s the latest team news and our predicted lineups.
FA Cup Third Round: Sunderland vs Everton Team News and Predicted Lineups
Everton Team News
Michael Keane and Jack Grealish will miss the match due to suspensions—Keane for a straight red card and Grealish for accumulating yellow cards. Nathan Patterson and Tyler Dibling are expected to fill in. Injuries will sideline Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman, and Charly Alcaraz, while Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye remain on international duty with AFCON.
Jordan Pickford is likely to be rested in favor of Mark Travers.
Sunderland Team News
Wilson Isidor, who has missed the last two matches, is back in training and could return. However, Regis Le Bris stated he would avoid taking risks with Isidor and the four players coming back from AFCON who are not yet fit to train. Three players crucial to Sunderland’s promotion last season, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, defender Luke O’Nien, and midfielder Dan Neil, could start to make an impact.
Regis Le Bris on Selection
At the pre-match press conference, Regis Le Bris shared updates about his squad. He mentioned, “We will go strong while balancing player workloads. We don’t have a complete view of the squad yet, but we will choose the best lineup possible.”
“We respect the competition and want to be competitive. Some players may need to be assessed for rest, but every player is eager to contribute. We have a strong motivation to bounce back.”
Everton Predicted Lineup
Travers
Patterson
Tarkowski
O’Brien
Mykolenko
Garner
Iroegbunam
Armstrong
Dibling
Beto
McNeil
Sunderland Predicted Lineup
Patterson
Hume
O’Nien
Ballard
Cirkin
Geertruida
Neil
Rigg
Mundle
Adingra
Mayenda
Subs: Roefs, Mukiele, Xhaka, Jones, Tutierov, Isidor, Le Fee, Hjelde, Brobbey
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