Dean Smith's Aston Villa have lost their first two games despite having more shots on target than any other side bar Manchester City TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause is fit again, leaving Jonathan Kodjia and James Chester as the only absentees.
Midfielder Marvelous Nakamba and full-backs Frederic Guilbert and Matt Targett await their debuts.
Everton left-back Lucas Digne has overcome a hamstring problem, while Leighton Baines could feature after recovering from a thigh injury sustained in pre-season.
Fabian Delph remains out but Morgan Schneiderlin is available after a ban.
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MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
@stevenwyeth: English league football's most-played fixture is back after a three-season hiatus. Everton come into it unbeaten but, for Villa, despite encouraging signs, the reality of life back in the Premier League is a pointless start.
Collectively, there is not much to concern Dean Smith - it's the cost of individual mistakes that has been heavy, particularly at home to Bournemouth last weekend.
A goalless draw and 1-0 win is evidence Everton have picked up defensively where they left off last season. With only four goals conceded in their last 10 games, solidity looks to be a useful platform to fulfilling their ambitions this season.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith: "We're creating chances, we just need to start taking them.
"There's certainly no frustration with [forward] Wesley from me or his team-mates. He brings other people into play and he's getting better and better.
"We're two games into the season. He's one goal behind Mo Salah at the moment - I'm not judging centre forwards this early in the season."
Everton manager Marco Silva on his side's opportunity to go top of the table for the first time in 12 years: "It would be good but we have to prove we are able to do that.
"Afterwards we will see the result and if we get to the top. In our minds we just have to respect them [Villa] and go there with desire and commitment to win."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Aston Villa got beat at home last weekend but I think they can get a draw against Everton. They have spent a lot of money in the transfer window but you can see they have a structure in place. There is a real identification about them.
Prediction: 1-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
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This is the most-played league fixture in England. Friday marks their 203rd league encounter - all in the top flight - with Everton leading Aston Villa by 76 wins to 73.
Everton have scored two goals or more in eight successive Premier League meetings - a club record run against the same opponent.
Villa's only win in their 11 most recent league matches against Everton was 3-2 at home in May 2015.
Aston Villa
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Aston Villa have only once started a Premier League season with more than two successive defeats - a run of four in 1997-98.
They have lost 14 of their past 15 Premier League games, drawing the other one against Newcastle. It's the second-longest winless run in the club's top-flight history, four behind their unwanted record.
Their most recent top-flight win came against Norwich at Villa Park in February 2016.
Villa have suffered consecutive home league defeats for the first time since February 2017. They last fared worse when losing six in a row between February and April 2016.
Since winning their first Friday Premier League match, against Spurs in December 1997, Villa have drawn three and lost two of the five top-flight fixtures they have played on that day.
Jack Grealish has lost a record 20 Premier League games in a row.
Everton
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The Toffees have gone unbeaten in their opening two Premier League fixtures for the last eight campaigns.
They are vying to start a season with three successive top-flight clean sheets for the first time since 1912.
Everton's tally of 12 Premier League clean sheets in 2019 is second only to Manchester City's 13.
Their only defeat in 10 league matches came at Fulham in April (W6, D3).
Seamus Coleman and Gylfi Sigurdsson are both one short of 250 Premier League appearances.
Source: bbc.com