Everton beef up midfield for United clash

Everton went for an extra midfielder for their Premiership opener against Manchester United at Goodison Park.

Leon Osman came in from the side beaten in their Champions League third qualifying round first leg against Villarreal on Tuesday with Kevin Kilbane dropping to the substitutes’ bench .

Simon Davies and Phil Neville made their league debuts for Everton, with the former United man facing his old club just a week after his £3.5m (€5.1m) move to Merseyside.

United were without Ryan Giggs (chest infection) and Cristiano Ronaldo (leg injury). South Korean Park Ji-Sung and Edwin van der Sar made their Premiership debuts for the Old Trafford club.

Gabriel Heinze, out most of the summer with a knee problem, and Guiseppe Rossi were on the bench.

Everton: Martyn, Hibbert, Weir, Yobo, Pistone, Neville, Davies, Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Beattie. Subs: Wright, Bent, Ferguson, McFadden, Kilbane.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, O’Shea, Fletcher, Keane, Scholes, Park, Rooney, van Nistelrooy. Subs: Howard, Heinze, Smith, Richardson, Rossi.

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire)