Everton vs Huddersfield TownPremier League
Saturday 2 December
Goodison Park, 3pm kick-off
TEAM NEWS
Sam Allardyce admits it will be a huge boost to have Michael Keane back fit for his first game in charge of Everton.
After being substituted late on against Southampton last Sunday, the centre-back sat out Wednesday night’s 4-0 victory over West Ham United - a game for which the Blues had only four recognised first-team defenders available.
However, the 24-year-old England international has now returned to training and is in contention for the visit of Huddersfield Town to Goodison Park on Saturday.
The Blues will also welcome back striker Oumar Niasse from his two-game suspension but Leighton Baines will again miss out due to the calf strain that forced him off at St Mary's.
FORMEverton got their fourth league win of the season on Wednesday night at Goodison Park with a 4-0 win over West Ham.
Wayne Rooney opened the scoring in the 18th minute as Dominic Calvert-Lewin was brought down by Joe Hart and, from the resulting penalty, Rooney nodded in the rebound after Hart made the initial save. Rooney then doubled Everton’s lead after a flowing, sweeping move down the right-hand side with a nice finish. His third was an absolute wonder strike from 59 yards after Hart had cleared the ball into the forward’s path. Ashley Williams completed the rout with a fine header from a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner.
The win was Everton’s first since the 3-2 win over Watford which had preceded a draw at Crystal Palace, and a loss to Southampton.
Huddersfield come into the game at Goodison off the back of three losses on the bounce. Last time out at Arsenal, the Terriers conceded five with no reply at the Emirates Stadium. Huddersfield were in the game throughout the first half but three quickfire second-half goals took the game away from the Yorkshire side.
The previous game, Manchester City visited the John Smith’s Stadium where the top-flight newcomers were unlucky to lose after a resilient performance.
ONE TO WATCH: Aaron Mooy
Aaron Mooy first joined Huddersfield at the start of the 2016/2017 campaign on loan from Manchester City after being signed from Melbourne City. Mooy was instrumental in the Terriers’ push for promotion, chipping in with four goals and was named as Huddersfield fans’ player of the season as they reached the Premier League.
Into this season and Mooy’s first start in the top flight saw him directly involved with two of the three goals in a 3-0 over Crystal Palace. His first goal came as the winner against Newcastle United in August and he followed this up with the opening goal in the famous 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
Internationally, Mooy has represented Australia since Under-20 level and made his senior debut on 7 December 2012 against Guam, scoring a free-kick in the 9-0 win.
LAST TIME: EVERTON 5-1 HUDDERSFIELD, AUGUST 2010
The previous bout between the two sides occurred in the second round of the League Cup seven years ago.
Marouane Fellaini opened the scoring with a header to take the lead, which Jack Rodwell then doubled with a low drilled strike.
Huddersfield had a route back into the game as Johnny Heitinga headed the ball into his own net, but any chance of an upset was soon diminished as Jermaine Beckford scored a third before Lee Peltier brought down Seamus Coleman in the box, getting a second booking in the process. Heitinga missed the penalty, but Louis Saha got a fourth moments later, before Leon Osman completed the scoring with a header.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE: CHRIS KAVANAGH
Chris Kavanagh takes charge of his fifth ever Premier League fixture after the official became a Select Group One referee this season. Kavanagh started officiating in the National League in 2012 and has worked his way up to the top flight, having seen over the 2017 League One Play-Off final between Millwall and Scunthorpe United.
The Manchester-born official has never previously refereed Everton but was the man in the middle for Huddersfield’s 0-0 draw with Burnley in September.