Everton Faces Stuttgart in Crucial Pre-Season Test
Everton close out their two-game swing through Germany on Saturday, and the second assignment is a very different animal to the first.
Hamburg was about rhythm, sharpness, and late drama. Stuttgart will be about standards.
David Moyes’s side arrive at the MHPArena on the back of a 2-1 win in Hamburg, a result prised from a scrappy contest by a stoppage-time own goal from Jordan Torunarigha. Before that slice of fortune, Merlin Röhl had marked his return to Germany with the sort of composed finish that hinted he might become a central figure in Moyes’s evolving midfield.
That victory made it four pre-season outings in a busy summer, but Stuttgart represent a clear climb in difficulty as the Premier League looms into view.
Step up in class
Sebastian Hoeneß has turned Stuttgart into one of the Bundesliga’s sharpest operators. They finished fourth last season, punched their ticket for the Champions League, and reached a second consecutive DFB-Pokal final. This is no gentle tune-up; it’s the kind of opponent that exposes any slackness in shape or intensity.
For Moyes, that’s exactly the point. With the domestic opener creeping closer, this is the stage where systems harden, combinations settle and fringe players either stake a claim or drift to the margins.
New face waits in the wings
One new signing will be watching from afar.
Christian Norgaard, recruited from Arsenal for £7m earlier in the week, will not feature in Stuttgart. The Danish midfielder is due to link up with his new teammates once they return to Merseyside, where he will begin his fitness work at Finch Farm. The plan is simple: get him up to speed quickly enough to make a possible first appearance when Everton face Newcastle United at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh next Wednesday.
For now, his absence leaves space for Röhl to build on that goal in Hamburg and for Tim Ireogbunam and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to deepen their understanding in the middle of the pitch.
World Cup returnees rejoin the pack
There is, though, a welcome injection of international quality.
Iliman Ndiaye and Nathan Patterson are back in the group after extended breaks following their involvement at the 2026 World Cup. Both will push for their first minutes of the summer against Stuttgart, and both bring attributes Moyes badly needs: Ndiaye’s ability to break lines and improvise in tight spaces, Patterson’s energy and aggression down the right.
Jordan Pickford, who helped carry England to the semi-finals, will not be involved. The first-choice goalkeeper is due to join up with the squad after they return from Germany, leaving Mark Travers to continue his audition between the posts.
James Garner remains sidelined with a groin problem, a frustration for a player who had been growing into a more influential role.
Shape, selection and signals
The expected shape is familiar: a 4-2-3-1 that can tilt and morph depending on the ball.
Travers is likely to start in goal, with a back four of O'Brien, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko. In front of them, Röhl and Ireogbunam should provide the double pivot, with Dewsbury-Hall operating slightly higher, knitting play and pressing from the front of midfield.
Out wide, Sam Dibling and Louie Barry are tipped to flank Ndiaye, who could be trusted with the central attacking role. It’s a line-up that mixes established defensive ballast with youthful, mobile attacking options – a blend that needs to start producing coherent performances, not just flashes.
Kick-off is at 4:00 pm BST on Saturday, 8 August, at the MHPArena in Stuttgart. The game will be streamed live on evertontv, with one-off match passes available, while supporters can also track the action via the ToffeeWeb Live Forum.
One more rehearsal. A stronger opponent. A manager looking for answers. With the Premier League closing in, how many of these auditioning players will still be in the spotlight when the real thing starts?
