Everton open their Premier League campaign at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon, hosting a Crystal Palace side beginning a new era under Pierre Sage.
David Moyes will be desperate for a positive start after a run of seven games without a win closed out last season and cost Everton a place in Europe. A kind opening fixture against a transitioning Palace side offers exactly that opportunity.
Everton team news
Moyes confirmed at his pre-match press conference that James Garner is “returning from a hernia operation” and will not be involved. Tim Iroegbunam will also miss out, with the manager explaining: “Tim Iroegbunam has an abductor strain so won’t make it tomorrow.”
The injury has been independently corroborated by Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović, who cited it as the reason a proposed £20m transfer for the midfielder collapsed, describing it as “a minimum of six weeks.” Christian Nørgaard is a doubt, with Moyes stating he “may not be fit enough to start.”
Everton’s summer rebuild continues to take shape without a specialist right-back in place. Chief executive Angus Kinnear has been candid on the issue: “We won’t have a right-back for Palace, but it’s important we have the number one right-back we wanted when the window closes.” Jake O’Brien is likely to fill in there in the interim, having done so in pre-season.
Brennan Johnson, signed as part of a swap deal that sent Dwight McNeil the other way, is in contention to feature against his former club just months after winning the Conference League with them.
Harrison Armstrong, a 19-year-old academy graduate, has been earmarked for a starting role after what Moyes described as rapid progress: “Harrison is on the path to becoming a first-team player, even quicker than I anticipated.”
Hayden Hackney is set for a Premier League debut in midfield alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Thierno Barry leads the line, with Iliman Ndiaye providing support from a deeper position.
Everton predicted lineup
Everton possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Hackney, Dewsbury-Hall; Johnson, Armstrong, Ndiaye; Barry
When will the match kick off?
The Premier League match kicks off at 15:00 BST on Saturday, 22 August 2026.
How to watch Everton vs Crystal Palace?
This match will not be broadcast live on television in the UK, in line with the traditional Saturday 3pm blackout.
Read more – Everton address transfer concerns ahead of Premier League opener
See also – Johnson ‘excited’ as Everton complete Crystal Palace transfer