Why Vitalii Mykolenko is absent for Everton as triple boost confirmed against Aston Villa
Everton team news to face Aston Villa in the Premier League.
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Iliman Ndiaye is fit enough to start for Everton against Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The winger, who has scored two goals this season, continues for the Toffees as they aim for four successive victories in all competitions. David Moyes admitted that Ndiaye had a knock after returning from Senegal duty but he has been passed fit.
However, Vitalii Mykolenko does not feature. The left-back returned from Ukraine duty because of an issue and is ruled out of the squad. It means that James Garner starts at left-back and Tim Iroegbunam comes into the midfield. That is the only change from the 3-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers before the international break.
Adam Aznou and Nathan Patterson are fit enough to make the bench, though. Aznou makes the match-day squad for the first time since joining from Bayern Munich for £8 million. There is also a place among the substitutes for deadline-day signing Merlin Rohl.
Everton boss Moyes said: “I’m feeling good because the team are performing really well. We’ve no Mykolenko today, Ili felt okay today so hopefully he’ll be okay to get through it.
“I don’t think I can put my finger on it (positivity around the club) but I can look back to the end of last season, with the results we had at Goodison and the results we had, then we’ve started the season pretty well. I think it’s given everybody inside the new stadium a great feeling and long may it continue.
I’m really fortunate that I get to take on the baton at this point in Everton’s history. That included ending our time at Goodison and it also included moving into this new stadium as well. The big thing, for me, is to get a team that is correct – which is right for Everton and will get us back in the right position. The players have done a great job – the ones who have left as well as the ones who are still here. Hopefully we can keep it going.”
