Everton begin pre-season at Dundee on Saturday, July 18, and David Moyes expects to have close to a full squad available. Only four players have travelled to the World Cup, which gives him a much stronger hand for the first friendly than he had last summer. The game also starts a run of six friendlies before the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, August 22.

Squad depth and early selection calls

That wider pool matters because Everton finished 13th in the Premier League with 49 points last season, so this is about building a sharper start rather than patching up a collapse. Moyes said: "David Moyes will have close to a full squad available for Everton’s first pre-season friendly." He also noted that the strength of the squad should be a boost after last year's threadbare pre-season group.

Jordan Pickford, Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are among the players who may not be there for the opening games, but the early picture is still a healthy one for Moyes. That should give him a proper first look at how the shape settles before the Palace game arrives in late August.

New faces and Branthwaite's return

There is also some extra intrigue in the names around the squad. Hayden Hackney is part of the summer picture, while Tyrique George is expected to return after Chelsea agreed an initial £18m deal for the winger. George's last five league appearances include ratings of 6.3, 7.3, 6.9, 6.9 and 6.7, which suggests a steady addition rather than a finished product.

Jarrad Branthwaite is another encouraging piece for Everton. His campaign ended when he was stretchered off against Liverpool in April, but his recovery is understood to have gone well and he should be able to play in pre-season. He has five recent league outings, including a 7.9-rated display in the 3-2 win at Fulham, so the sensible approach is to ease him back rather than force the issue.

Everton do not need every answer in the first week of July. They do need availability, a few useful additions and some clean runs through the friendlies, and Dundee gives Moyes the first real chance to see that shape in motion.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →