Everton face selection dilemma as injury return could spark unexpected problem

Everton continued their Premier League resurgence at Portman Road on Saturday. A 2-0 win saw Sean Dyche's side past newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

Goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane before half time put the Blues in a strong position in the game and they saw the match out to make it four unbeaten, with eight points taken across those fixtures.

The run of form marks a major improvement on the early weeks of the season, as the Blues begun the Premier League season with four consecutive defeats. Next up is a home showdown with Fulham and Dyche potentially has a number of big decisions to make for the game.

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Arguably the biggest conundrum for the coach is in defence. Jarrad Branthwaite looks set to be available for the upcoming clash and as the Blues' standout defender, he would come back into the team in normal circumstances.

However, James Tarkowski and Keane have finally found some cohesion as a centre-back duo in recent weeks, with the latter adding a goalscoring option too.

In the full-back positions the return of Vitalii Mykolenko added some balance to Everton's defence last time out, while Ashley Young continued his fine form with another strong display at right-back. Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson could potentially provide some competition after their returns from injury.

In midfield, Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure were excellent as a pairing at Ipswich. Orel Mangala is the only other current option to play in a deeper role, with James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam out injured.

Ahead of that duo, the front four feels set in stone barring any shock changes. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line against Fulham after a mixed day at Portman Road, with Dwight McNeil in support. Ndiaye will continue from the left, with Jack Harrison on the right.

Dyche's options off the bench in attack were severely diminished at Ipswich with Jesper Lindstrom's illness meaning he was unavailable. Youssef Chermiti and Armando Broja are also sidelined due to injury.