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We are now just 10 days away from Everton kicking off the new Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace, and so pre-season is about to get serious. After the two-match tour of Germany brought a win over Hamburg but a defeat to Stuttgart, the Blues are heading to Edinburgh this evening as they take on Premier League rivals Newcastle United at Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby. Can they convert pre-season promise into a win though? Or will it be another trying occasion for the Blues after the Stuttgart loss? Here are the teams our Blues writers would pick if they were in charge. Joe Thomas The new season is almost upon us and it is time to start taking games more seriously. Finding the right balance is tough, though, and is something we need to bear in mind. I would, therefore, give Jarrad Branthwaite a rest rather than play him twice in five days, he told me on Saturday how it was important to monitor his workload. I’d also keep Hayden Hackney out of the side for the same reason - he too is still building fitness after last season was disrupted by injury. Resting Branthwaite would allow me to bring Jake O’Brien across to centre back, where he started at Stuttgart before being pushed to the right to deal with Tim Iroegbunam’s injury. I would have James Tarkowski and O’Brien at centre back and Adam Aznou and Nathan Patterson at full back. I want Everton to try get more attacking threat from those positions and, after a below-par display from Vitalii Mykolenko I want to see Aznou tested again so I can make up my mind on him. In the middle, it is likely to be too early for Christian Norgaard after his limited pre-season. I would have Merlin Rohl and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall operating either side of Harrison Armstrong. I’m not sure Armstrong can be a 6 but he is disciplined and composed enough to give the two around him the chance to push up. Iliman Ndiaye and Tyler Dibling would start behind Thierno Barry for me. My team (4-3-3): Travers; Patterson, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Aznou: Dewsbury-Hall, Armstrong, Rohl; Ndiaye, Barry, Dibling Chris Beesley As much as I’d love to see Jordan Pickford, who has done such a great job vanquishing his Geordie baiters and haters in recent years make a dramatic comeback for Everton against Newcastle United, I imagine this game might come a bit too soon for him after his post-World Cup break. If that is indeed the case with England’s number one then Mark Travers will have to deputise again in goal. I don’t want Jake O’Brien to have to revert to right-back, so I’d start with him in his natural centre-back position again and have Merlin Rohl resume the wide defensive role with no new face yet forthcoming in the Blues’ long-standing problem position. There seems to be a safety first approach with managing Jarrad Branthwaite’s minutes and I’d therefore restore James Tarkowski in the heart of defence. With Tim Iroegbunam out injured, I’d put Harrison Armstrong and Hayden Hackney in the two deeper central midfield roles and restore Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in front of them. As well as Tyler Dibling did in Stuttgart, I think Everton should rotate the wide areas and put Tyrique George on the left and give Iliman Ndiaye his first start since returning on the right while up front, Thierno Barry comes in for Beto after his encouraging display off the bench last time out while the Guinea-Bissau international struggled. My team (4-2-3-1): Travers; Rohl, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Barry. FOLLOW OUR EVERTON FC FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest EFC news and analysis from via the Liverpool Echo’s dedicated FB page