Everton v Coventry team news: Awoniyi, Grealish out
Everton welcome Coventry City to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday 6 November 2026 at 21:00 WAT (20:00 GMT), with David Moyes confirming Jack Grealish is not available and Jarrad Branthwaite being nursed after cramp at Newcastle, while Frank Lampard's Coventry travel without Aurèle Amenda and Haji Wright and with Taiwo Awoniyi expected to lead the line.
By Emily · · Updated
When and where is Everton v Coventry City?
Everton welcome Coventry City to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday 6 November 2026, with kick-off at 20:00 GMT (21:00 WAT). The fixture is listed on the Everton FC team-news note and in BBC Sport's Moyes press conference. It is the first Premier League meeting between the clubs in 25 years, BBC Sport's key-stats piece adds, and Everton go into it on the back of Carabao Cup and Premier League wins over Newcastle.
What did David Moyes say about Grealish and Branthwaite?
Asked about Jack Grealish, Moyes told the club site: "Jack is not available. I wouldn't give you the plan, but we will be working with Jack again soon." BBC Sport's Grealish update places that absence as a third straight miss after a breach of club discipline, with the midfielder last featuring on 17 October against Chelsea. On Jarrad Branthwaite, withdrawn after 82 minutes at Newcastle with cramp, Moyes said: "Yeah, we're just nursing [Branthwaite] along a wee bit, just checking to see he's okay, so we need to see how he is, yes." BBC Sport summarised that it is unclear whether he will feature.
Moyes also backed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's form ahead of Thomas Tuchel's England squad announcement, saying the midfielder "certainly must be around it, knocking on the door" while stressing England have many options in that role. On Thierno Barry's eight goals in 12 appearances this season, matching his whole 2025-26 tally, Moyes joked that Erling Haaland "should be worried because he is just behind him now", in comments carried by BBC Sport.
What is Coventry City's team news under Frank Lampard?
Everton FC's opposition note says Coventry will be without Aurèle Amenda and Haji Wright, while Josh Eccles and Luke Woolfenden are also expected to remain sidelined, with Bobby Thomas and Frank Onyeka facing late fitness checks. BBC Sport's Lampard press conference (4 November) says Lampard gave nothing away on Thomas and Onyeka, and that Eccles and Woolfenden are "back on the grass but very tentative", with no return timeline. Lampard called Ethan Pinnock "outstanding" and said the centre-back took the armband when Matt Grimes did not start last week. He also said he has been "impressed" with Everton under Moyes, who "maximises" the squad.
The Football Faithful projects an unchanged Coventry XI from the Sunderland win in a 4-2-3-1: Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Mfuni, Pinnock, Dasilva; Yirenkyi, Torp; Sakamoto, Rudoni, Gboho; Awoniyi. That is the outlet's projection, not a club confirmation. The same piece lists Amenda, Wright, Eccles and Woolfenden unavailable, with Thomas and Onyeka to be assessed — matching Everton FC's opposition lines.
Where does Taiwo Awoniyi fit the Nigeria angle?
Awoniyi is the Super Eagles forward now leading Coventry's line under Lampard. The Football Faithful expects him to start again after scoring his first Premier League goal of 2026/27 in the 3-1 win over Sunderland. Jack Rudoni remains Coventry's leading league scorer on four, per those desk notes. For Nigerian readers the kick-off is 21:00 WAT, and the Nigeria thread sits with Awoniyi rather than with Everton's unavailable Grealish story. We keep this board separate from Awoniyi's earlier PFA Beyond the Pitch award package.
What else frames the Friday night?
BBC Sport's key stats note Everton sit seventh and are chasing a third win in ten days, while Coventry have won three of their last five after failing to score in their first four Premier League games back. Barry has scored in both Newcastle wins; Tyrique George assisted Monday's winner; Harrison Armstrong, 19, has been influential. Dewsbury-Hall has created 21 Premier League chances, more than double any other Everton player, BBC Sport says. Moyes will equal Harry Catterick's 592-game Everton record, facing his 45th different Premier League opponent. Lampard managed Everton from January 2022 to January 2023 and is back in the opposing dugout for the first time.
TuSport desk: two boards, one Nigeria lead
Line the two press conferences up and the availability boards do not match. On the Everton side, Everton FC and BBC Sport both carry David Moyes confirming Jack Grealish is not available, with the manager saying the club "will be working with Jack again soon" without giving a return plan. Branthwaite is being "nursed along" after Monday's cramp at St James' Park, and Moyes would not confirm him. On the Coventry side, the same Everton FC opposition note lists Amenda and Wright out, with Eccles and Woolfenden also expected to stay sidelined, while Thomas and Onyeka face late checks. BBC Sport's Lampard presser adds that Eccles and Woolfenden are "back on the grass but very tentative", and that Lampard gave nothing away on Thomas and Onyeka.
That leaves Taiwo Awoniyi as the clearest Nigeria thread on the night. Secondary desk notes from The Football Faithful project Awoniyi to lead the line again after his first Premier League goal of the season in the 3-1 win over Sunderland, with Rudoni at number 10 and Sakamoto and Gboho wide. Those are outlet projections, not confirmed XIs. Everton, per BBC Sport's talking points, have just won twice without Grealish, with Thierno Barry on eight goals in 12 appearances and Tyrique George supplying Monday's winner. Kick-off is 21:00 WAT on Friday 6 November at Hill Dickinson Stadium — late enough for Nigerian viewers after the midweek European wave.
One more board marker: BBC Sport notes Moyes will equal Harry Catterick's club record of 592 games in charge against Coventry, the 45th different Premier League side he has faced. Lampard returns to Merseyside for the first time as an opposing manager since leaving Everton in January 2023. We do not invent line-ups; any named XI below is labelled to the outlet that published it.
Why it matters
Friday's 21:00 WAT kick-off is the Premier League's late game and the clearest Super Eagles thread of the night via Awoniyi, while Everton try to extend a two-win run without Grealish. Follow the Premier League and Nigeria hubs and the WAT kick-off times guide. Read our earlier reports on Awoniyi's PFA Beyond the Pitch award and Bournemouth v Leeds team news.
Who will win?
Everton v Coventry City · Fri 06 Nov, 21:00 WAT · Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
One vote per reader. Results show after you vote.
Sources: Everton FC — Branthwaite Fitness Update & Team News For Coventry Test · BBC Sport — Moyes on Grealish, matching Catterick's record and Coventry · BBC Sport — Grealish unavailable again for Everton · BBC Sport — Lampard on 'tentative' injury returns, Pinnock's impact and Everton · BBC Sport — Everton v Coventry: Key stats and talking points · The Football Faithful — Coventry City XI vs Everton – Predicted lineup and team news
