Everton wrap up their pre-season programme on Saturday when Lille visit the Hill Dickinson for Moyes’ side’s final warm-up before the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on 22 August.
| Competition | Pre-season friendly |
| Date | Saturday, 15 August 2026 |
| Kick-off | 3:00pm BST |
| Venue | Hill Dickinson Stadium |
| TV/Stream | EvertonTV (single match pass) |
Team news
Jarrad Branthwaite is in line to feature after being managed carefully through Everton’s reintegration programme. He was held out of the Newcastle friendly as a precaution but returned to full training in the days after, with the club indicating he’d be involved against Lille — a final step before Moyes assesses his readiness for the Palace opener.
James Garner remains out, continuing his rehabilitation from groin surgery and expected back around the start of the league season rather than before it. Tim Iroegbunam is also unavailable, having come off early against Stuttgart.
Jordan Pickford could return in goal having returned to the group following England’s World Cup campaign, though Moyes may choose to ease him back in gradually given the tournament minutes already in his legs.
Brennan Johnson is available for a first appearance since his move from Crystal Palace, and Christian Norgaard should get another chance to build match sharpness after being an unused substitute against Stuttgart.
With the right-back situation still unresolved on the transfer front, expect another audition at the position — Nathan Patterson and Jake O’Brien have both featured there across pre-season, with Merlin Rohl also an option Moyes has tried.
The bigger picture
Everton’s pre-season has been a mixed bag: wins over Dundee and Hamburg, a draw with Bolton, and defeats to Stoke and Stuttgart, before beating Newcastle 3-1 at Murrayfield in their most recent outing.
A result against Ligue 1 opposition would be a useful confidence boost heading into the new campaign, though with the squad still being rotated and assessed, the performance and fitness picture will matter more than the scoreline.
Track all the latest team news and injury updates on the Everton injury & fitness tracker, and follow live transfer developments on the Everton transfer tracker.
