Arteta Returns To Side

Mikel Arteta starts Everton's clash with Preston North End.

Mikel Arteta will start in Everton's pre-season clash with Preston North End.

The midfielder missed the Toffees' games against Melbourne and Brisbane after departing the tour of Australia early to get married. He has now rejoined the Blues squad and will start today in their first pre-season game on English soil.

A last-minute change to the starting XI means Arteta is joined by captain Phil Neville, Jack Rodwell and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov in midfield against Darren Ferguson's Championship outfit.

French duo Louis Saha and Magaye Gueye start up front.

Iain Turner continues in goal and is supported by a back line of Tony Hibbert, Leighton Baines, Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka.

Victor Anichebe and Leon Osman both miss the Deepdale clash after picking up knocks in training earlier this week.

And James Vaughan - who netted in a friendly against Forfar Athletic less than 24 hours before today's match is named on the bench.

Jose Baxter, Shkodran Mustafi, James Wallace and Joao Silva all linked up with the Reserves squad for their pre-season tour of Scotland this week and are also named substitutes. Jermaine Beckford, Seamus Coleman and Adam Forshaw complete the squad - with Forshaw getting his first taste of pre-season involvement this summer.

Everton: Turner, Baines, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Bilyaletdinov, Neville, Arteta, Rodwell, Gueye, Saha. Subs: Vaughan, Beckford, Coleman, Silva, Mustafi, Forshaw, Wallace, Baxter.