There's going to be a limited number of players for Everton to choose from if they do face Blackburn Rovers in a friendly over the coming weeks.
With a large selection of players heading on international duty this week, Everton have minimal players remaining at Finch Farm.
The squad will likely be given some time off to spend with family or jet off on a quick holiday, but they'll be back in training soon enough as they prepare for the return of Premier League action.
The Everton players certainly won't be given the whole three-week period to go and enjoy themselves, and it's been claimed that they are set to face Blackburn Rovers in a behind-closed-doors friendly, allowing those players who have remained to get some game time.
Due to the players heading off on international duty and Everton already having an incredibly small suqad, there are only a handful of senior players actually remaining.
So who are they?
Everton players remaining at Finch Farm
Goalkeepers
- Mark Travers
Defenders
- James Tarkowski
- Michael Keane
- Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Midfielders
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
- Hayden Hackney
- Charly Alcaraz
- Merlin Röhl
- Christian Nørgaard
Forwards
- Jack Grealish
- Thierno Barry
Interestingly, Everton have actually claimed on their website that Mark Travers has been named in the Republic of Ireland squad, but Ireland themselves have said that he's not in the squad.
So looking at the options remaining, it's not going to be easy for Everton to field a team.
Harvey Foster and Malik Olayiwola are among those who were involved in first-team action during pre-season, so they'll likely be with the senior squad over the next few weeks. George Finney also played in one of the friendlies, so he could be an option for Everton.
If we're picking a starting lineup based on the players remaining, it could look something like this.
Travers; Finney, Keane, Tarkowski, Maitland-Niles; Hackney, Rohl; Alcaraz, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.
Even on an international break, Barry will struggle to get a rest.
Norgaard remains out injured, so it's unlikely that he's going to be involved in any friendlies. On a more positive note, the three-week break does give him an opportunity to continue his recovery and hopefully be fit enough to return next month.
It's an opportunity for players to prove themselves to Moyes, especially the likes of Charly Alcaraz, Hayden Hackney, and Merlin Rohl.
It's also a chance for some of the young players to stake their claims, such as George Finney, Olayiwola, and Foster, and it wouldn't be a surprise if a larger selection of academy players were called upon for first-team training over the coming weeks.
