James Tarkowski shares Everton ‘demand’ ahead of back-to-back Newcastle clashes

Everton captain James Tarkowski has urged his teammates not to feel sorry for themselves despite a small squad ahead of back-to-back matches against Newcastle United. Everton faces Newcastle in the League Cup on Thursday, looking to bounce back from consecutive 2-0 Premier League defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal. Tarkowski emphasized that the limited squad depth should be viewed positively as players know they will receive significant playing time.

Manager David Moyes could be boosted by the returns of Jarrad Branthwaite from concussion protocols and Jack Grealish following an illness. However, left-back Vitalii Mykolenko is unlikely to recover in time after sustaining an injury against Arsenal, with James Garner potentially stepping in as his replacement for the cup tie.