Pickford set to make first start in crunch tie for Everton
Jordan Pickford will make his competitive debut for Everton tonight, while fellow summer signing Wayne Rooney has been passed fit for the Europa League second-leg qualifying game against Ruzomberok in Slovakia.
The Toffees hold a slender 1-0 advantage thanks to Leighton Baines’ strike at Goodison Park last week in a fixture that saw Pickford start on the bench. However, manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed that the England Under-21 international goalkeeper, who arrived from Sunderland for £30 million this summer, will start the crucial tie. The Dutchman said: “We know we need to make decisions on the team and it is not only about the goalkeeper.
“It’s still the pre-season but we can’t call it pre-season because we’re playing in an important game. Pickford will start the game.”
There had been concerns over Rooney’s availability to feature, yet Koeman was able to quash any doubts over the 31-year-old’s fitness.
“Wayne had some groin issues in the past few days, but he trained normally yesterday and this morning,” Koeman added. “He is fit to play.”
A goalless draw would see Everton advance past the first qualifying hurdle, but Koeman said: “We always try to play offensive football.”