David Moyes Faces Manchester United with Everton's Threadbare Squad

Everton staggered out of the transfer window with a squad that looks alarmingly light. David Moyes is under no illusions about what that means for the months ahead.

Beto, Adam Aznou, Nathan Patterson, Iliman Ndiaye and Tim Iroegbunam all left in the final days of the window, stripping depth from a group that was already short on numbers. The club scrambled to respond, bringing Jack Grealish back on loan and adding Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon, but a failed move for Folarin Balogun underlined how messy the end of the summer business became.

The damage is there in black and white. Everton have named only 19 senior players in their 25-man Premier League squad. Three more first-team options – Harrison Armstrong, Tyrique George and Tyler Dibling – sit on the under-21 list, technically available but hardly the profile of seasoned top-flight regulars.

Moyes: ‘They’re all going to have to muck in’

Facing the cameras before Everton’s clash with Manchester United, Moyes cut a realistic figure. He knows exactly what he’s working with.

"I know what I needed and I know what it’s like to build a squad for the Premier League," he said. "I know the numbers you need. I’ve been around long enough to know that, but some things went against us and some things could have gone better. Ultimately, we didn’t want to lose a lot of the players, but for different reasons that had to happen."

The exits have left him short of options. The schedule will not wait.

"They’re all going to have to be able to muck in as we’ve got a real small squad now," Moyes continued. "It gives opportunities to some people who have not had them and sometimes in football you need to be given that chance so that you can show what you can do.

"Let’s see if some of them can do that. I have no concerns. I am sure they will be fully at-it."

That is the challenge now. A trimmed-down Everton, patched up by late arrivals and backed by untested names, walking into a Premier League campaign where every fixture bites. The door is open for the fringe players; what they do with it, starting against Manchester United, will shape the story of Everton’s season.