Summary Everton face a challenging match against West Ham this weekend after their Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool. Sean Dyche must find a solution for Ashley Young's absence as he serves a suspension. Nathan Patterson has the chance to make a difference and limit the likes of West Ham's Lucas Paqueta.

Everton are back in action in the Premier League this afternoon as the Blues travel to east London to face West Ham United on matchday ten of the 2023/24 season.

The Blues will be hoping to put their previous defeat to Merseyside rivals Liverpool behind them, but the challenge in hand will be far from easy, as David Moyes’ Hammers have enjoyed a positive start to the new campaign.

After losing 4-1 to Aston Villa last time out in the league, the Irons will be desperate to get back to winning ways against Everton, who will hope to begin to move away from the drop zone.

Everton team news against West Ham

Following the defeat to Liverpool, Sean Dyche could hold his head high with reference to his team’s performance, as they kept the Reds at bay in the first half despite going a player down.

The manager was less than happy with the officiating during the fixture, exploding to the media after the game and calling the decision not to send Ibrahima Konate off as an “impossibility of football”.

The reality for Dyche is that Everton walked away empty-handed, and despite the anger towards a potentially result-changing decision, the Englishman will have to find a solution for his own player’s act of ill-discipline, as Ashley Young was dismissed at Anfield for two bookable offences.

Young was shown a second yellow during the first half, and will serve a suspension to rule him out of contention for the fixture against West Ham.

Aside from the left-back’s dismissal, there are no fresh absences to relay, with the only news on the injury front being Seamus Coleman’s return to training after his terrible knee injury sustained in May.

With Young away from action, Dyche will have to make a rotation to his backline – one that could see Nathan Patterson re-enter the fold.

Nathan Patterson must be at his best to limit West Ham

Life in the Premier League has been far from easy for Patterson, who arrived on Merseyside in January 2022 from Rangers.

While the talent that the young defender has in his locker is unquestionable, he seems to still be adapting to the demands of the English top tier, but game by game, he is displaying more confidence.

Lauded as a “big player” by former Scotland international Simon Donnelly, Patterson certainly has what it takes to make a difference against West Ham, in what could arise as an opportunity for him to impose himself further in the starting XI.

When lining up against the Hammers, the 22-year-old will be faced with the tireless talent of Lucas Paqueta, who is so often the driving force behind Moyes’ side’s creativity in the final third.

By limiting the Brazilian, Patterson could greatly impact the theme of the game, with the tools there for the Scotsman to go toe-to-toe with Paqueta’s threat.

Last season, the £28k-per-week gem made a statement with his stellar average of 3.45 tackles per 90, a rate that ranked him within the top 4% of full-backs in the Premier League, via FBref, telling of his capabilities when in form.

With Young ruled out, now could be the time for Patterson to show what he’s worth to Dyche and begin the start of a run in the starting XI if he can record a strong performance at the London Stadium.