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Everton vs West Ham team news: Andy Carroll starts first game of the season at Goodison Park

English striker has not started a game since last May

Tom Sheen
Saturday 22 November 2014 15:27 GMT
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Andy Carroll of West Ham United applauds the crowd
Andy Carroll of West Ham United applauds the crowd

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has picked English striker Andy Carroll to start for the first time this season.

The former Liverpool man has not started a game since May, having struggled for fitness throughout the summer with an ankle injury.

With both Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia sidelined, Allardyce has opted to start Carroll alongside Carlton Cole.

The two strikers join three other players to be added to a new look starting line up, with Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins, who is usually a centre-back, inserted into the midfield, along with Morgan Amalfitano. Alex Song, Seydou Kouyate and Stewart Downing, who have all earned rave reviews this season, miss out.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez, who has an injury crisis on his hands, makes four changes to the home side with Tony Hibbert likely to start at left-back for the missing Leighton Baines.

Leon Osman also comes in, but there is good news with Kevin Mirallas playing his first match since the end of September. Steven Naismith comes in for Samuel Eto'o up top.

Everton: Howard, Coleman, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, McCarthy, Osman, Barkley, Mirallas, Naismith, Lukaku.

Subs: Robles, Eto’o, Besic, Atsu, Browning, Garbutt, Ledson.

West Ham: Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Jenkinson, Collins, Nolan, Tomkins, Noble, Amalfitano, Cole, Carroll.

Subs: Jarvis, Zarate, Vaz Te, O’Brien, Demel, Jaaskelainen, Lletget.

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