EVERTON manager David Moyes will give his new €11million Russian winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov his full debut tonight and is hoping a squad depleted by injuries and suspension can cope with life in the Europa League.
Bilyaletdinov, already known around Goodison Park much more simply as ‘Billy’, will be plunged into his first full match for his new club at home to AEK Athens in Everton’s opening Group One match.
But Moyes will be without captain Phil Neville, out for three months with suspected knee ligament damage, suspended full-back Tony Hibbert and ineligible new defender John Heitinga.
Playmaker Mikel Arteta now faces a further six weeks of treatment after a setback in his recovery from a knee operation, while Victor Anichebe is still a long-term injury problem.
Moyes said: “We have certainly got a few problems. Phil Neville will be out for three months, Tony Hibbert is suspended and John Heitinga is ineligible.” Youngster Dan Gosling could fill in at right back.
The two sides have never met.
AEK have won just one of their last 11 eleven Uefa club competition away fixtures, beating FK Mladá Boleslav 1-0 in the 2007/08 Uefa Cup group stage.
EVERTON (squad): Howard, Gosling, Rodwell, Yobo, Distin, Baines, Osman, Bilyaletdinov, Cahill, Pienaar, Fellaini, Saha, Jo, Yakubu, Baxter, Nash, Vaughan, Agard, Duffy, Wallace.
ROY Hodgson last night denied Fulham are neglecting the Europa League by making wholesale changes for this evening’s tie with CSKA Sofia.
Only goalkeeper David Stockdale and defender John Pantsil survive from the starting line-up that defeated Everton 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Fulham have been robbed of players such as Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey and Damien Duff through injury, but Hodgson has also opted to rest the likes of Andy Johnson and Brede Hangeland.
Aston Villa and Tottenham last season fielded severely weakened sides and paid the price with their exit.But Hodgson defended his team selection declaring he expects his international-heavy line up to topple the Bulgarian league leaders.
“We’re not neglecting the tournament. When Aston Villa and Tottenham fielded what they thought were weaker sides there was virtually no one from their first team squad involved,” he said.
“I fully believe the team I put out will be very competitive. Only one player – Stockdale – has not played international football. “All other 10 have played for their countries so we’re not talking about an inexperienced team lacking in ability.”
FULHAM (squad): Zuberbuhler, Stockdale, Stoor, Pantsil, Kelly, Baird, Smalling, Andranik, Riise, Davies, Greening, Nevland, Kamara, Seol, E Johnson, Elm, Dikgacoi.
CELTIC manager Tony Mowbray fears the extra Europa League officials will try to justify Uefa’s experiment by interfering unnecessarily in this evening’s clash with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Belgian officials Johan Verbist and Peter Vervecken will take up positions behind either goal at the Bloomfield stadium to assist referee Paul Allaerts, as part of Uefa’s experiment to help the man in the middle deal with contentious goalmouth incidents.
Mowbray is keen on extra help to get crucial decisions correct but is wary of what might happen with over-enthusiastic assistants in the early stages of Uefa’s trial runs.
“Let’s hope we don’t realise the extra assistants are there,” the Celtic boss said. “I’d like to think the referee will make the decisions, not the guys behind the goal.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC midfielder Michael Zandberg has been ruled out for between four to six weeks with a hamstring injury, a problem that could lead to him missing his sides first three Group C ties.
Republic of Ireland midfielder Aiden McGeady returns from suspension. Club captain Stephen McManus continues to wait for his first start of the season after recovering from a knee injury.
CELTIC: (squad): Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, Daniel Fox, McGinn, McGeady, Mizuno, Crosas, Caddis, N’Guemo, Samaras, Maloney, Brown, McDonald, Flood, Zaluska, Killen, McManus, McCourt.
