– Beto is out, but Calvert-Lewin can be ready

When Everton won the extremely important game against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, they took a big step towards keeping their place in the Premier League. But they also got some new concerns on the injury front.

Striker Beto, who they bought from Udinese for £26m last year, collided with Morgan White-Gibbs and suffered a serious head injury. He is said to have been unconscious, and left the field on a stretcher with an oxygen mask. Beto should be on the mend, but the concussion protocol will rule him out for the next few games.

That was confirmed by Everton boss Sean Dyche at his press conference before the Merseyside derby on Wednesday evening. But Dyche had better news for Dominic Calvert-Lewin who also looked set to leave the game against Forest with an injury.

– He hopes that he can be back. We’ll have to wait and see, but hopefully, Dyche said.

Another who will miss the game is captain Seamus Coleman. Nathan Patterson, Dele Alli and Lewis Dobbin are otherwise out.

– We have to win the duels

There is no doubt what the matches against Liverpool mean for Everton’s supporters, and one must expect it to be tough and difficult at Goodison tonight. The way Dyche spoke at the press conference, it sounds like there will be consolation in the duels.

– It’s an old term, but win the head duels, the tackles and the sprints. It used to be the big thing when I played, and it really still is. It’s your own individual moments in matches that you have to deal with, no matter who you’re playing against. It’s like that in every position. You can win your duels in different ways. If you are a striker, you can win it by being smart rather than physically, so there are different ways to win those games, he says.

– You must know your role against the player you meet, but you must also cover it together as a team. So rather than worrying about each match in the match, the team also needs to stick together, so the shape of the team becomes important there. The tactics and that we have a physical performance that allows us to run and cover the field. You want the individual matches for each player, but also stick together as a team. If you get it done, you have a better chance of getting what you want, and that’s victory, he says.

In the last 11 games at Goodison Park, Liverpool have won only two. The Reds have to win tonight if there is to be any hope of winning the Premier League title.

Everton – Liverpool will be played at 21.00, and will be shown on V Sport PL and Viaplay.