Everton will be looking to progress into the third round of the EFL Cup when they travel to the John Smith's Stadium on Tuesday evening to take on Championship outfit Huddersfield Town.
The Toffees have made a positive start to their 2021-22 Premier League season, picking up four points from two matches, while Huddersfield have secured seven points from their four Championship fixtures this term.
Match preview
The EFL Cup will not be high on Huddersfield's list of priorities this season, but the competition does give managers the chance to hand valuable minutes to squad players, and the Terriers will enter Tuesday's clash with Everton full of confidence following two excellent Championship wins.
Carlos Corberan's side, who finished 20th in the second tier last season, made a disappointing start to their league campaign, drawing with Derby County before suffering a 5-1 home defeat to Fulham.
Huddersfield have beaten Preston North End 1-0 and Sheffield United 2-1 in their last two fixtures, though, which has seen them move into 10th in the Championship table with seven points from four matches.
The Terries beat Sheffield Wednesday on penalties, following a goalless draw, in the first round of this season's EFL Cup, which proved to be their first victory in the competition since August 2017.
Huddersfield have not actually beaten Everton in any competition since 1956, but they did pick up a 1-1 draw against the Toffees when the two sides locked horns at Goodison Park during the 2018-19 Premier League season.
Everton, meanwhile, opened their 2021-22 Premier League season with an impressive 3-1 home win over Southampton before drawing 2-2 with Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
Much was made of Rafael Benitez's controversial appointment as head coach, but the early signs are positive, and it will be fascinating to see how the Spaniard treats this competition, which might be the Merseyside club's best chance of silverware this season.
The Toffees have never actually won the League Cup, but they made the final in 1977 and 1984; last term, the club reached the quarter-finals of the competition before losing 2-0 at home to Manchester United.
Benitez will undoubtedly make changes for Tuesday's match with one eye on the team's next Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion on August 28, but the Everton fans are craving a trophy, and it would be some story if the former Liverpool manager could deliver silverware at Goodison Park.
As mentioned, Everton's recent record against Huddersfield is excellent, and they recorded a 1-0 win over the Terries when they last visited the John Smith's Stadium in the Premier League in January 2019.
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Team News
Huddersfield will again be without the services of Josh Ruffels due to a positive coronavirus test, but the Terriers are otherwise in good shape in terms of availability for this match.
Corberan will make changes from the side that started against Sheffield United in the league on Saturday, with Fraizer Campbell, Harry Toffolo, Duane Holmes and Tom Lees all potentially coming into the side.
It is still expected to be a relatively strong XI for the hosts, though, with Lewis O'Brien set to feature despite the ongoing speculation linking him with a move to Leeds United.
As for Everton, Benitez will ring the changes from the clash against Leeds, with Fabian Delph, Moise Kean, Tom Davies, Asmir Begovic, Jonjoe Kenny, Mason Holgate and Jean-Philippe Gbamin in line for starts.
There could also be a spot at the back for fit-again Jarrad Branthwaite, with the majority of those that started against Leeds on Saturday expected to drop to the bench or out of the squad.
Demarai Gray has made an excellent start to life at Goodison Park, and Benitez will want the 25-year-old to maintain his momentum, so there could be another start for the attacker in this match.
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Lees, Pearson, Colwill, Toffolo; High, Hogg, O'Brien; Holmes, Campbell, Koroma
Everton possible starting lineup:
Begovic; Kenny, Holgate, Branthwaite, Digne; Delph, Davies, Gbamin; Townsend, Kean, Gray
We say: Huddersfield Town 1-2 Everton
Confidence will be high in the Everton camp after a strong start to 2021-22, and we are expecting the Toffees to progress into the third round of the EFL Cup. Huddersfield will also enter the match off the back of two strong results, but we believe that the Premier League outfit's superior quality will shine through.
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