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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Chris Beesley

Everton include three debutants in team to face Chelsea

Frank Lampard hands Everton Premier League debuts to three players against his previous employers Chelsea as new signings Dwight McNeil and James Tarkowski plus Nathan Patterson are all named in the starting line-up while Demarai Gray appears to be spearheading the attack.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin out for approximately six weeks following what Lampard has described as a "freak" training ground injury and Salomon Rondon suspended, Everton have no senior strikers available so Gray seems to have been given the nod up front among a forward trio also featuring Anthony Gordon and McNeil, who came off the bench to score twice in front of the Gwladys Street in the 3-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv eight days ago.

LIVE: Everton vs Chelsea score and analysis

The Blues look set to continue with the three centre-back system used against the Ukrainian champions as Tarkowski and Godfrey retain their places while Yerry Mina replaces Michael Keane. Vitalii Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson - who has only featured in 45 minutes of FA Cup action against non-League Boreham Wood since his January transfer from Rangers, are named in the wing-back roles with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Alex Iwobi given the nod in central midfield.

Everton: Pickford, Tarkowski, Mina, Godfrey, Patterson, Doucoure, Iwobi, Mykolenko, McNeil, Gordon, Gray.

Substitutes: Begovic, Holgate, Keane, Allan, Dele, Gbamin, VInagre, Warrington, Mills.

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