LIVE: Everton v Burnley

The Spaniard is wary of the physical threat that a battle-hardened Burnley possess in the Premier League and labelled the visitors as a 'dangerous team'.

In his pre-match press conference, the ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid boss said: "It's a strong team, they're physically very strong, they know each other really well, they know the manager and how they want to play.

"The strikers are strong, good in the air, [Dwight] McNeil has a good left foot, good deliveries; all these players have known each other for a while and they know how they play. They're a very dangerous team to play against."

Burnley won the last meeting 2-1 in Merseyside as Chris Wood and McNeil opened up a two-goal cushion before Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit back for the Toffees.

Benitez was operating in the Chinese Super League at the time, but knows from experience just how tough it is to go up against Sean Dyche's side.

He was in charge of Newcastle United during the 2018-19 campaign, guiding the Magpies to a couple of wins over the Clarets.

In his programme notes, he added: "We welcome Sean Dyche and the staff and players of Burnley.

"Everybody knows about Sean’s excellent work for his club over many years and every manager will tell you how difficult it is to play against his team.

"They are focused and prepared for everything. We know the game can be physical but Burnley have some quick and talented players who will be ready for any mistakes."