There is no denying that Everton have responded courageously in the face of adversity of late, notably picking up four successive Premier League victories in the early weeks of December, despite suffering the blow of receiving a ten-point deduction.
At that stage, it looked as if the Toffees would still be able to comfortably stave off the drop even with that hefty points deduction, although the situation has shifted dramatically of late, with Sean Dyche's men now just a point above the relegation zone.
With Luton Town picking up successive wins and with the Goodison outfit losing to both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City over the Christmas period, the club's top-flight survival now looks far less like a certainty.
With Dyche and co now in need of a positive result away to Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow afternoon to help lift the mood, the former Burnley boss could make two changes to his starting lineup.
1 GK – Jordan Pickford
Wednesday's defeat to the champions is not one that Jordan Pickford will look back on fondly, with the England international playing his part in the eventual 3-1 loss, notably squandering possession in the build-up to Bernardo Silva's late stunner.
That moment of madness had come after the experienced stopper was also beaten from range by Phil Foden, although it would be a real shock to see him dropped at Molineux.
2 RB – Nathan Patterson
Tasked with curtailing the impact of Jack Grealish down the left flank, Nathan Patterson 'worked hard to defend doggedly' in midweek – as per Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley – and deserves to keep his place.
3 CB – James Tarkowski
Now regularly taking on the captain's armband in the absence of Seamus Coleman, Tarkowski will be seeking to continue his run of starting in every Premier League game this season and should be fit to feature despite sitting out training on Thursday with a knock.
4 CB – Jarrad Branthwaite
The in-demand gem continues to put himself in the shop window with his sparkling displays at the heart of the defence, having looked so composed again in midweek, recording a solid 92% pass accuracy rate and losing possession on just four occasions.
5 LB – Vitaliy Mykolenko
Fresh from 'another smart showing' against Pep Guardiola's men, as per Beesley, the Ukrainian full-back will be trusted yet again from the start against Gary O'Neil's men.
6 CM – Andre Gomes
While the Portuguese playmaker was not at his best in midweek – recording just 22 touches in his 65-minute outing – his return from injury has been a welcome sight for the Toffees, with a run of games needed to get him back up to full speed.
7 CM – James Garner
While Amadou Onana was harshly penalised for handball on Wednesday night, that came amid an all-round difficult display for the Belgian as he lost the ball on 12 occasions and won just two duels, putting his place in the starting XI at risk for the trip to the Midlands.
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If the former Lille man is to return to the bench, it could see James Garner drop back into a slightly deeper role, with Idrissa Gueye sidelined and Abdoulaye Doucoure facing a late fitness test.
8 RM – Jack Harrison
It was Harrison who got Everton off to the perfect start in midweek after netting against his former employers, taking his season tally to two goals and three assists in the top flight in the process.
9 CAM – Arnaut Danjuma
Amid the doubts surrounding Doucoure's fitness, it could be a rare chance for Danjuma to line up from the start, with the on-loan forward making just three league starts this season.
While typically an option from the flanks, the Netherlands international can also feature more centrally – as he did when scoring 16 goals during the 2021/22 campaign for Villarreal.
10 LM – Dwight McNeil
So often the man to unlock the door for his side, Dwight McNeil – who leads the way among his Toffees teammates with five assists – will yet again provide quality service from the flanks, having teed up Harrison in midweek.
