Under-21s v Reading

Darron Gibson is to make his comeback from a thigh injury in Sunday's Under-21 game against Reading.

The Irishman has not featured for the Blues since limping off during a 2-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion in early September.

The news will be a boost to manager David Moyes, who this week lost captain Phil Neville for six to eight weeks after the 35-year-old underwent knee surgery.

Experienced centre-half Sylvain Distin will also feature for Alan Stubbs' side after sitting out Saturday's first-team defeat against the Royals, while Apostolos Vellios, a second-half substitute at the Madejski Stadium, is another included.

Francisco Junior, Shane Duffy and Matthew Kennedy all start, as does John Lundstram, fresh from netting an injury-time penalty in England Under-19s' 1-0 win over Finland on Tuesday.

Polish youngster Mateusz Taudul is selected in goal, while there are also places for right-back Tyias Browning and midfielder Conor Grant.

Everton: Taudul, Browning, Touray, Junior, Distin, Duffy, Kennedy, Gibson, Vellios, Lundstram, Grant. Subs: Springthorpe, Hope, Forrester, Pennington, Long