Overview
- The tie kicks off Saturday, January 10 at 12:15 p.m. local time in Liverpool, which is 7:15 a.m. ET.
- Everton enter with a depleted squad as Michael Keane and Jack Grealish are suspended, Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman are unfit, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has a thigh injury, Carlos Alcaraz is not yet ready, and Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye are on AFCON duty.
- Sunderland have Reinildo, Bertrand Traoré, Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku back from AFCON, remain without Chemsdine Talbi and Habib Diarra, and top scorer Wilson Isidor was reported as a possible return.
- Recent form contrasts include Everton’s single win in six league matches and a 4-2 home loss to Brentford before a 1-1 draw with Wolves, while Sunderland fell 3-0 to Brentford in midweek after a strong first half of the season.
- Everton have won the FA Cup five times and reached 13 finals, whereas Sunderland have four final appearances with two titles, though they have rarely progressed beyond the third round in recent years.