Everton Without Eight Players For Sunderland Cup Clash

Everton will be without eight Senior Team players for Saturday's FA Cup third round clash with Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium (12.15 GMT kick-off).

It was confirmed on Friday morning the Blues had lost an appeal to overturn a red card to Michael Keane for "violent conduct" in the 1-1 draw with Wolves – and the defender will now serve a three-match suspension, a run which also includes Premier League clashes with Aston Villa and Leeds United.

Jack Grealish will be suspended against the Black Cats, after picking up a one-match ban for two yellow card offences in midweek.

Jarrad Branthwaite, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Seamus Coleman and Charly Alcaraz all remain sidelined through injury.

Meanwhile, Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye continue to be unavailable due to their participation in the AFCON with Senegal, who take on Mali in the quarter-finals of the tournament on Friday.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference at Finch Farm, boss David Moyes suggested Jordan Pickford could start in goal for the Toffees.

"Of course [we want to get a run in the FA Cup going]," he said. "We've also got other players who want to play as well, but Jordan has been the No.1 goalkeeper here and made an outstanding save the other night for us. We hope he's fit and available to play."

Speaking about the decision to uphold Keane's red card, Moyes said: "I'm hugely disappointed, hugely surprised, probably more angry with the panel who chose they thought that was the case because, as a panel, I have to question the three of them. I know who the three of them are on the panel and I'm absolutely amazed that they didn't, in some way, overturn it.

"To say it's violent conduct, we've just seen a game last night [Arsenal v Liverpool] where it's okay to throw a ball at somebody, it's okay to push someone and lift them up when they've got a bad injury but if you have a little pull of someone's hair, accidentally, that would be a three-game ban.

"It's quite extraordinary, for me.

"I'm embarrassed for whoever was on VAR. This was a young referee doing only his third or fourth game and they gave him a terrible decision [to refer him to the pitchside monitor]. VAR didn't need to get involved in that at all."

Asked to compare Keane's red card to a high tackle on Harrison Armstrong earlier in the game, Moyes continued: "It sounds like what Michael Keane did was [more worthy of] a sending off and a three-game ban, but the tackle [on Armstrong] was given as nothing in the game and not recognised by either the VAR or the referee.

"It sounds as if they've got all their things in the wrong places, at the moment." 

Asked about his injured players, Moyes said: "None of those players are available.

"Jarrad is back on the grass and going well so hopefully he's not too far away."

On whether or not the current situation affects plans for the January transfer window, Moyes added: "It does a little bit because, obviously, we're a few more players down, again.

"Again, we're out looking, which means we're trying, but there's a good chance that trying doesn't get to anything, so we'll wait and see."

The Opposition

Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor will be assessed ahead of the game after missing the past two Premier League games through injury.

The Black Cats will also make late calls on the availability of four returning players from AFCON, with Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku, Bertrand Traoré and Reinildo all knocked out of the competition earlier this week.

Chemsdine Tabli and Habib Diarra have both made it through to the quarter-finals with their respective nations and will be unavailable for selection, while Aji Alese remains a long-term absentee.