Everton line-ups for Liverpool as Merlin Rohl decision made amid Vitalii Mykolenko injury wait

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After a disappointing start to the season at Leeds United, the Blues were exhilarating in their 3-2 win at Wolves just before the international break.

The hope will be that such form can continue at Liverpool - a miserable hunting ground for the club for too long.

Moyes wants to end his Anfield curse and believes Everton have improved on last year - when they narrowly lost in this fixture just weeks after pushing the eventual champions to the limit in the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.

He made no secret of his belief the Reds have made progress too when speaking at Finch Farm, however.

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Crucial to his plans will be the squad available to him.

Moyes was coy on the availability of Vitalii Mykolenko and Jarrad Branthwaite and hinted at further fitness concerns - problems he did not go into detail on but that will no doubt worry Blues desperate for a change in luck at the home of their fiercest rivals.

Here, the ECHO's Blues writers discuss how they would set up for the tie.

This would be a wonderful time for Vitalii Mykolenko to return to fitness.

It just makes the side a bit too awkward when you throw in Jake O'Brien occupying the right-back slot while also removing Garner as an option from midfield.

I'm going to work on the basis Mykolenko is unavailable, partly in the hope I will be positively surprised should he appear in the starting line-up, and therefore Garner has to stay at left back for continuity.

Michael Keane has performed well this season too, which would add to my caution on a Branthwaite return.

Ahead of the defence, as hinted above, Rohl would start for me alongside Idrissa Gueye in the event Mykolenko is still out and Moyes has to continue to lean on Garner's versatility.

The attack speaks for itself - I would be tempted to start Thierno Barry after the chances Beto missed last week but he seems to cause this Liverpool defence nightmares every time he plays them, so I would want to make good use of his unpredictability once again.

My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Garner; Gueye, Rohl; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Beto.

Hopefully Vitalii Mykolenko can win his fitness battle to play for Everton at Anfield because his return would represent a double boost for David Moyes’ side.

Mohamed Salah has been the main man not just for Liverpool but in the Premier League for a number of years now but to be fair to Mykolenko, he has shackled this elite performer relatively well when they’ve come up against each other.

The Ukraine international was doing just that when he went off injured in what proved to be Everton’s first Merseyside derby win at Goodison Park for 13-and-half years in April 2024 and his niggles have continued since then.

Mykolenko being passed fit would also enable James Garner to return to his preferred role in central midfield alongside Idrissa Gueye, which would be a significant boost given that the Blues have still never won a Premier League game when Tim Iroegbunam has been in the starting line-up.

If Mykolenko doesn’t make it and Garner is forced to continue as an auxiliary left back, I’d be inclined to bring deadline day signing Merlin Rohl into the starting line-up at Iroegbunam’s expense in the hope he could provide a bit of magic on his Merseyside derby debut.

The other “knocks” that Moyes spoke about in his pre-match press conference are unspecified but if everyone else is fit, there would be no other changes with me as despite his string of misses against Aston Villa last time out, striker Beto caused Liverpool’s central defenders plenty of problems in their previous Anfield visit and should have scored on that occasion too.

My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Beto.

The team for this afternoon essentially picks itself - provided Vitalii Mykolenko is fit enough to play.

James Garner should then move into midfield to partner Idrissa Gueye, however, if Mykolenko isn’t fit enough to start then the former Manchester United man will remain at left-back.

That would result in David Moyes having a big decision to make.

Does he stick with Tim Iroegbunam or hand Merlin Rohl his first start?

For me, Iroegbunam played himself out of the team with his performance against Villa last weekend, and Rohl should be given the nod.

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My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Beto.