By Sedara Oluwadara
Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin will miss the next six weeks after picking up a “freak” knee injury in training on Tuesday.
Seamus Coleman is also out, while Salomon Rondon is suspended following his red card against Brentford last season, but Yerry Mina is available.
Chelsea forwards Timo Werner and Armando Broja will be assessed for minor injuries.
Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly could make their debuts.
It’s odd that Chelsea don’t seem to be properly prepared for the start of the season – they are still trying to make signings and their squad is not ready.
But Everton have problems too. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is injured, Salomon Rondon is suspended and Richarlison has obviously been sold – so they have no-one to lead their attack on Saturday.
They are going to have to rely on the Goodison Park crowd to get them through this game, like they did at the end of last season.
Their fans will give them a lift, but they can’t help them by scoring goals.
Prediction: 0-2
Head-to-head
Everton have won each of their last four Premier League home games against Chelsea – their best run in this league fixture since winning seven in a row between 1923 and 1935.
Those wins have come under four different managers: Marco Silva, Duncan Ferguson (caretaker), Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Lampard.
Chelsea’s run of four consecutive defeats at Everton is their longest active losing streak away to a current Premier League side.
They have won only three of their last 14 Premier League visits to Goodison Park (D2, L9).
Everton
Everton took 10 points out of a possible 18 in their final six league matches last season to finish 16th and maintain their top-flight status.
This is their 69th consecutive season in the top flight, a run that began in 1954-55. Only Arsenal, with 97, are on a longer unbroken streak.
The Blues set club Premier League records for most defeats in a 38-game campaign (21) and most goals conceded (66) last season.
They amassed 29 of their 39 Premier League points last season at Goodison Park.
Everton are unbeaten in their opening Premier League match in the last 10 seasons (W4, D6), the longest ongoing run in the top flight.
Frank Lampard could become the first manager to win consecutive Premier League games against Chelsea having previously managed them.
Dwight McNeil had a league-high 49 shots without scoring in 2021-22.
Chelsea
Chelsea were top of the Premier League table after 14 matches of last season, one point ahead of Manchester City and two points clear of Liverpool. The Blues went on to finish third, 19 points behind the Citizens and 18 points adrift of the Reds.
Only Manchester United have won their opening match of a Premier League season more times than Chelsea’s 19.
Chelsea have lost just four of their 28 Premier League away games under Thomas Tuchel (W18, D6), with all of these defeats coming by a margin of just one goal. However, the most recent one was at Everton in May.
Goodison Park was one of only three venues Chelsea lost a Premier League away match at last season (W12, D4). The Blues were also beaten at the London Stadium and the Etihad.
They conceded 11 Premier League away goals last season, a joint-league low alongside Manchester City.
Raheem Sterling is one of 10 players to have scored a hat-trick on the opening weekend of a Premier League campaign, doing so against West Ham in 2019-20.
culled from BBC Sports
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