Everton take on Gor Mahia in the SportPesa Trophy today.
Everton beat Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1 on Saturday afternoon, and the attention has already turned to the weekend trip to Chelsea – but the Toffees are actually in action tonight too.
Marco Silva’s men face a daunting task heading to Stamford Bridge this weekend against the unbeaten Blues, and fringe players have the chance to get up to speed tonight.
Everton host Kenyan champions Gor Mahia in the SportPesa Trophy at Goodison Park this evening, offering a chance for Toffees players to get some game time.
The two teams played out a similar game in 2017, and tonight’s game takes place after their proposed pre-season friendly had to be rescheduled.
Silva will be looking for players to get game time, and it’s a huge night for both Yerry Mina and James McCarthy as they step up their comebacks from injury.
Mina, a huge signing from Barcelona over the summer, made his first Everton appearance as a late substitute against Brighton on Saturday, and is fighting for a start at Chelsea.
With no considerable playing time since England beat Colombia in the World Cup last 16 over the summer, Mina has a chance to get up to speed tonight, which is vital for him as he can prove to Silva that he is the man to step in for Kurt Zouma at Chelsea on Saturday, with the Frenchman ineligible to play against his parent club.
Meanwhile, midfielder McCarthy has been out since the turn of the year with a major injury, and having been praised by Silva in recent weeks, he can now show that he can compete with idrissa Gueye and Andre Gomes for playing time in midfield.
The Irishman was a key man under Roberto Martinez having been signed by his former Wigan boss, but struggled to convince Ronald Koeman, and has suffered regular injury woes in recent years, with tonight a perfect opportunity to show what he can still do in a valuable friendly.
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