Phil Neville stands by for his Everton debut against former club
Manchester United as the Toffees continue to include defender Per
Kroldrup in their squad despite his need for a hernia
operation.
The Denmark defender was on the bench for Tuesdays Champions
League qualifying match and will almost certainly take up the same
position on Saturday.
Boss David Moyes said: He will need an operation in maybe a week
or two after we have got our tough opening schedule out of the
way.
Moyes, meanwhile, has vowed to prove his side are more than merely
one-season wonders.
The Goodison Park boss prepares for the lunchtime visit of United
to Merseyside aware that his team are considered by some to be
massive over-achievers after their fourth-place finish last
term.
Moyes knows the demands and expectation on his side are now
massive, and an opening-day visit of former champions United - and
old boy Wayne Rooney - will test his team to the limit.
But the Scot said: My target is to finish higher than we finished
last season and to show people that it wasnt a one-off.
And I can assure everyone that it wont be a one-off. We are an
improving club, a progressive club. We may not be able to challenge
the top boys but we will give it the best shot we can.
People say we over-achieved, I just think that Everton achieved!
Whatever anyone says about us, that is what happened, we
achieved.
The players achieved great things last season, and people can say
what they like but they only need to look at the league table to
see what Everton achieved.
And the signing of Neville from United a fortnight ago gave Moyes a
further welcome boost.
Moyes added: Phil Neville has been a great help since he arrived.
People can already see what a good job he has done and he will be a
great asset for us in the future.
He can play in several roles and he is also showing signs of
leadership qualities which we are glad to have.
You dont play for England over 50 times, no matter what anyone
says about you, if you are not a good player. His passing,
working-rate and distribution are all first class.
I have only had him here a few days but he has shown really what
we all knew about him. He is from good stock, a great pedigree, and
we will be able to use that.
He has shown already that he will be able to talk to players, move
them around and organise. But everyone already knew he had that in
him.
Neville believes lessons have been learned from the first-leg loss
to Villarreal.
He said: "We need to show the same commitment we showed on Tuesday
and make sure we concentrate for the full 90 minutes.
Its fate that my first league game will be at home to United, but
its the best-case scenario to get that one out of the way straight
away for me personally. In terms of the start for Everton it is a
tough one.
Everton beat United here last season when I was on the receiving
end, now I hope Everton can beat them again at Goodison.
No team likes coming to Goodison, I know that from an opposing
player point of view. Everton have to make it difficult and the
bigger picture is now Everton beating Manchester United, and
nothing about Phil Neville.
Moyes is confident Duncan Ferguson and Tim Cahill have recovered
from minor knocks suffered during the midweek defeat against
Villarreal.
United head to Merseyside lacking only striking duo Louis Saha and
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is nearing the end of his injury
nightmare.
You always want to get to the first game with everyone fit, said
manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
If you only have one or two missing it is a bonus.
Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown and Quinton Fortune all return to the squad
which defeated Debrecen in midweek, while Park Ji-Sung is pushing
for a debut.
With Gabriel Heinze still being eased back following his extended
summer break, though, Ferguson is expected to field an unchanged
line-up.
United lost at Everton - and had Paul Scholes and Gary Neville sent
off in the process - at the back end of last season. But, with
Chelsea and Arsenal losing just once between them in the previous
two championship-winning seasons, the United camp know they dare
not suffer a repeat defeat to Moyes progressive outfit.
It is bizarre going into the first game thinking you cannot afford
to lose but that is how far the standards have been raised, said
defender John OShea.
We have gone into seasons past, had a poor start and still gone on
to win the league.
But we got 41 points out of 45 at one stage last year. If that is
not championship form I dont know what is but we still didnt get
close to Chelsea, so we must do better.
Defender Mikael Silvestre has claimed anyone not hungry for success
after two successive third-place finishes has no future at Old
Trafford.
Silvestre, veteran of three championship triumphs with United,
feels the desire in the dressing room is greater than it has ever
been.
"If we are not hungry after what happened last season, we might as
well stop playing for Manchester United," Silvestre told
MUTV.
"We have to, we will react and be angry again.''
Everton (from): Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Pistone, Neville,
McFadden, Cahill, Arteta, Kilbane, Ferguson, Beattie, Bent, Davies,
Wright, Kroldrup, Vaughan, Osman, Li Tie.
Manchester United (from): van der Sar, Howard, G Neville,
Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre, Fortune, Heinze, OShea, Fletcher,
Fortune, Ronaldo, Keane, Park, Scholes, Giggs, Miller, van
Nistelrooy, Smith, Rooney.
