Goalkeeper and captain Dean Henderson has passed a late fitness check and starts on Merseyside, having recovered from an injury sustained in our final pre-season friendly in Freiburg last week.
Meanwhile, Dwight McNeil makes his competitive Palace debut, starting against the club he departed just a handful of weeks ago.
Fellow new arrivals Takehiro Tomiyasu, Anan Khalaili, Óscar Mingueza and Evann Guessand begin the day among the substitutes, with Zavier Gozo in action for our Under-21s away at Arsenal this afternoon.
Should Sage’s side line up in a similar formation to pre-season, the team is likely to see Henderson protected by a potential back three of Jaydee Canvot, Chris Richards and Chadi Riad, flanked by wing-backs Daniel Muñoz and Tyrick Mitchell.
In midfield, Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton will serve as the engine room, whilst in attack, McNeil is joined by Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta – meaning six of the Eagles’ XI were involved in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals this summer.
For Everton, Hayden Hackney makes his Premier League debut, with former Eagles Jake O'Brien and Brennan Johnson both beginning on the bench.
Everton and Palace meet in their first Premier League game of the season for the third time this afternoon, with the Eagles unbeaten to date.
We won 2-1 in 1997/98 at Goodison Park, with Attilio Lombardo and Bruce Dyer getting the goals, before drawing 0-0 with the Toffees in the opening game of 2019/20 at Selhurst Park.
Everton: Pickford (GK), Rohl, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Hackney, Armstrong, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, George, Barry.
Subs: Travers (GK), Patterson, Keane, O'Brien, Dibling, Garner, Alcaraz, Johnson, Beto.
Palace: Henderson (GK), Canvot, Richards, Riad, Muñoz, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell, McNeil, Mateta, Nketiah.
Subs: Benítez (GK), Tomiyasu, Sosa, Khalaili, Mingueza, Hughes, Pino, Guessand, Strand Larsen.