Under-21s To Tackle Villa

Barkley, Duffy and Vellios in starting XI.

Ross Barkley, Shane Duffy and Apostolos Vellios will all be in action this afternoon when Everton's Under-21s put their unbeaten record on the line against Aston Villa.

The trio will all start at Southport's Merseyrail Community Stadium as the Blues look to extend their lead at the top of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Group 1 table to eight points.

Alan Stubbs' side are yet to suffer defeat in 2013 and could go a 10th game without defeat.

The in-form Conor McAleny, scorer of six goals in his last seven outings, also starts, as do left-back Luke Garbutt and midfielder Francisco Junior.

Youngsters Mason Springthorpe, Tyias Browning, Matthew Pennington, Conor Grant and Hallam Hope complete the line-up.   

Everton: Springthorpe, Pennington, Garbutt, Junior, Duffy, Browning, Grant, Barkley, Vellios, McAleny, Hope. Subs: Griffiths, Kennedy, Kelly, Long, Touray

Aston Villa: Watkins, Barton, Kinsella, Stieber, Devine, Donacien, Burke, Carruthers, Robinson, Johnson, Cameron. Subs: Webb, Marshall, Lewis, Bateman, Grealish