Overview
- Everton will play Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday with the game shown live on Sky Sports in the UK.
- Everton enter the fixture with a very small senior outfield squad after a troubled transfer window that included the late collapse of a proposed Folarin Balogun signing on medical grounds.
- Jack Grealish and Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined Everton on deadline moves and are available for selection to help plug the club's numerical gaps.
- Manchester United strengthened their midfield in the summer with Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba but still carry key absences and limited depth at left-back because of injuries to several players.
- Statistical models rate the game finely balanced and the result on Sunday could shape early-season perceptions of Everton's recruitment problems, fan pressure on ownership, and whether United's selective rebuild is delivering under strain.