Everton star ruled out of eight matches as two teenagers could feature against Tottenham Hotspur

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Everton team news ahead of the Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

Everton are set to be without Dwight McNeil yet again as David Moyes aims for his first victory since returning as manager against Tottenham Hotspur today.

McNeil hasn't made an appearance for the Toffees since the 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 4 December. Everton have subsequently played six Premier League games, failing to win one of them, while the forward was also absent for the 2-0 FA Cup win over League One side Peterborough United last week.

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McNeil is the Blues' four-goal joint-top goalscorer this season along with Iliman Ndiaye. He has also recorded three assists and his set-piece deliveries have been a stark absence. But as Tottenham visit Goodison Park (2pm GMT kick-off), McNeil will miss an eighth successive match because of an ongoing knee issue.

There is a chance that James Garner will return to the Everton bench for the first time in more than three months. The midfielder suffered a back injury during October's international break and it's meant that the Blues have been short of a ball-player in the engine room. Garner is back in full training, which means he could be in the squad against Spurs.

Tim Iroegbunam has been absent for a similar timeframe as Garner because of a stress foot fracture. The summer signing from Aston Villa made a decent start to his Everton career but it not quite back in training. Youssef Chermiti (thigh) is again on the treatment table having missed the opening three months of the season with a freak foot injury that required surgery. Meanwhile, Seamus Coleman has struggled for fitness throughout the campaign, playing only four times, and has a calf problem.

Armando Broja will be out for around three months with an ankle injury and Everton are in talks with Chelsea about possibly ending the striker's loan deal. Moyes said at his pre-Tottenham press conference: “No, I don’t think it’s absolutely [going to happen that his loan will be ended early]. I said in the press conference after the game when I was asked the question that I think his injury is going to now take longer than we had hoped it would do when he first picked it up. It’s [ending the loan early] is one of the options that might be available and other people around the Club are talking about it with Chelsea.”

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Moyes suffered a 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa in his opening game after returning as manager. The Scot named 18-year-old striker Martin Sherif on the bench and there is a chance he could again be involved given the injury situation. Sherif, who is a Netherlands youth international, has scored two goals in seven appearances for the under-21s this campaign.

Harrison Armstrong is expected to again be part of the match-day squad. The midfielder, who turns 18 today, was awarded man of the match against Peterborough, assisting Beto's opening goal in the first half and came off the bench in a 1-0 loss at AFC Bournemouth - Dyche’s final game in the hot seat.

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