Sean Dyche has called on Everton’s fringe players to step up and give him selection headaches ahead of the new season. The team has yet to secure a win in their summer friendlies, recently suffering a 3-0 defeat to Coventry City. Everton’s injury list is long, including key players like James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Nathan Patterson, and Youssef Chermiti. New signings Jesper Lindstrom and Jake O’Brien were also unavailable, and Jordan Pickford has yet to return following his involvement in England’s Euro 2024 campaign.
This situation provided an opportunity for players on the fringes of the squad to prove themselves, but they fell short against Coventry. Earlier, Everton lost 3-1 to Salford City and drew 3-3 with Sligo Rovers in other pre-season matches.
As Everton prepares for their upcoming friendly against Preston on Saturday, Dyche expects more from his players if they want to be in contention for the Premier League opener against Brighton on August 17.
Speaking to evertontv after the Coventry loss, Dyche said, “We showed how many players we’re missing, very important players. Credit to Mark’s team, they were excellent and looked game-ready based on that performance.
“From our perspective, we’re quickly diluted. We’re missing too many key players, and we’re hoping they return sooner rather than later. Integrating new players is challenging during this fitness period when we can’t focus much on tactical preparation. We’re managing a lot, but deep down, there are five, six, seven players crucial to us, and they will be again.
“Beyond the result, which still matters, we’re trying to get minutes and manage injuries. The only disappointing aspect is that we need players to make a statement and show they’re ready and game-ready. We didn’t see much of that. Despite the result, you still want sparks from players and good habits.
“We were miles off in the first half and most of the game. Part of this is because we haven’t focused much on the tactical side yet, which we’re starting now. It’s difficult when we’re missing six, seven players.”
