The 22-year-old will start for just the second time this season in the Premier League
Jarrad Branthwaite is back in the Everton starting line-up for the trip to West Ham United.
The centre back returns for only his second start of the campaign – one of two changes. The 22-year-old will play alongside James Tarkowski as Sean Dyche drops Michael Keane to the bench at the London Stadium.
That is not the only change, with Dwight McNeil missing out after the knee injury he suffered against Fulham but played through at Southampton flared following the defeat on the south coast. Abdoulaye Doucoure replaces him and looks set to play in the number 10 role.
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Branthwaite missed the start of the season as he recovered from an operation on his groin in the summer. He returned for the victory over Crystal Palace and played 90 minutes in that match – only to suffer a quad issue in the days since.
Dyche said he returned to contention when Everton played at Ipswich Town three weeks ago, though he did not travel to Portman Road. He was then a late substitute in the draw against Fulham and the loss at St Mary’s.
Amid those results there had been growing clamour for Branthwaite’s return. He does so just days after being called up for England’s Under-21s during the international break that follows this game.
Starting XI: Pickford; Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Young; Ndiaye, Doucoure, Mangala, Gueye, Lindstrom; Calvert-Lewin
