Bolton Wanderers vs Everton — Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Everton continue pre-season preparations with a trip to the ToughSheet Community Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

The Toffees kickstarted their summer schedule with a 4-0 win at Dundee last week, concluding the club’s Scottish training camp with a routine win. Beto, Thierno Barry, Harvey Foster and Dwight McNeil were all on target.

Everton face a Bolton side who have returned to the second tier after League One promotion last season. Steven Schumacher’s side thrashed Stockport County 4-1 in the play-off final to secure a return to the Championship.

The Trotters take on Everton in their third pre-season match-up, after facing Dunajska Streda and Oldham Athletic so far this summer.

Everton Team News

Neither Jarrad Branthwaite nor Hayden Hackney featured in the win at Dundee, despite taking part in full training during the Scotland camp. Branthwaite’s 2025-26 campaign was curtailed by a hamstring injury and Everton are opting to take a cautious approach with the defender, following an ahead-of-schedule return.

Hackney missed much of last season’s run-in with Middlesbrough, returning only for a brief cameo during their Championship play-off final defeat. The summer signing will hope to debut at Bolton.

James Garner is also nursing a groin issue and the Toffees are unlikely to risk his fitness. James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Thierno Barry will be seeking starts after beginning on the bench at Dundee.

Elsewhere, Everton remain without Iliman Ndiaye, Nathan Patterson and Jordan Pickford, who have all been granted a period of rest following their World Cup exploits.

Everton Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Travers; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Röhl, Ireogbunam, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil, Barry, George.

Bolton vs Everton: Match Details

How to Watch Bolton vs Everton

Pre-season games are available to stream live via evertontv. One-time match passes are available for £5.99 per fixture. All can follow updates here, on the ToffeeWeb Live Forum.

Reader Comments (17)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()

Sean O\\\'Hanlon 2 Posted 24/07/2026 at 14:32:50

Yes Eric! Luckily the typo wasn't corrected: "ToughShit Community Stadium " 😊

Paul Griffiths 3 Posted 24/07/2026 at 19:19:29

Anyone remember those successive New Year's Day games away at Bolton?

And, of course that never to be forgotten night-time semi-final there in '77?

Mike Hayes 4 Posted 24/07/2026 at 19:46:29

Not a good side but let's hope for a win.

David West 5 Posted 24/07/2026 at 19:58:53

I'd just be giving game time to Aznou, Dibling, Armstrong & George. They could build a bit of confidence, connections with team mates. I know we could see them get minutes but get them in starting lineup, I'd say. I'd start Dibling every preseason game and judge where his head is at.

Les Callan 7 Posted 24/07/2026 at 22:31:14

Yes, Paul @3. Pissed down all evening.

McKenzie missed a penalty… but we won.

Jeff Armstrong 8 Posted 24/07/2026 at 22:31:56

Dibling is never going to make it. Any decent full-back would have him in his pocket before the game begins, just shout at him in the tunnel, or breathe down his neck in the first minute, he would shit himself.

Imagine Cuceralla or Podro facing Tyler fucking Dibling in any fixture, they'd be laughing their heads off at the audacity of anyone to put Dibling up against them!

Paul Griffiths 9 Posted 25/07/2026 at 01:49:09

The Christian Brothers actually allowed us to leave school early to get to Lime Street for the special Les. It did piss down didn't it but over 50,000 there: Big Bob Latch yet again.

Second pre-season game and, let's count them, one-and-a-half new/newish players signed: Hackney and George who is a half as he was on loan. Rohl was an obligation to buy.

So, ace recruiting so far. Our crack team must have hunted high and low and fully researched and put all of that accumulated processing in for those three.

Hugh Jenkins 11 Posted 25/07/2026 at 08:26:08

Ian (6) - I like the look of that team.

Hopefully last season's signings will have now "settled in", and this season's can gel early.

Eventually, swap out Tarkowski for Branthwaite, and I think we are then looking at our strongest team and one that might well be challenging for the European places, come the end of the season.

Mike Powell 12 Posted 25/07/2026 at 09:45:42

Surely Dibling and Aznou have to start.

They both need a full pre-season.

Raymond Fox 13 Posted 25/07/2026 at 13:50:41

Jeff @ 8, your a bungle of joy.

Derek Powell 14 Posted 25/07/2026 at 13:52:54

http://www.fawanews.sc/Bolton%20vs%20Everton.html

Derek Powell 15 Posted 25/07/2026 at 13:54:42

https://vipleague.vg/football/bolton-wanderers-vs-everton-streaming-link-1

Jonathan Tasker 16 Posted 25/07/2026 at 13:55:25

At this stage I can see no difference between the Friedkins and moshiri and Kenwright. Every season now we are handicapped by refusing to buy or loan until the last day of the transfer window. This means we are effectively only playing a 33 game season. Will we ever get decent owners or, as I suspect, are we perennially cursed by the ghost of Kenwright?