EFC Brief

France's XI reads like an Everton scouting shortlist, and the man who commands most attention is Kylian Mbappé — perennially linked with the Toffees in the way every elite forward eventually is, and the sort of talent that makes the daydreams worthwhile. Behind him, Adrien Rabiot and Theo Hernández bring Champions League pedigree, while Mike Maignan represents everything you'd want in a modern goalkeeper, all names that have drifted into Goodison conversation. Rayan Cherki and Warren Zaïre-Emery add youthful intrigue to the French side, the latter still remarkably early in a career that already carries serious weight. It's a deep well of EFC-linked quality on one side of the pitch. England's representation is leaner but no less relevant to blue-tinted eyes: Dean Henderson, another goalkeeper whose name has circulated around Everton, flies the flag alone. With confirmed lineups in, it's a rare occasion where France carries the EFC storyline almost single-handedly.