da luck： Everton will continue their pursuit of Premier League survival this weekend when they make the trip to Selhurst Park to face Roy Hodgson's revitalised Crystal Palace on Saturday.
da premier bet： The Toffees relished the new manager bounce when Sean Dyche arrived at Goodison Park; however, they have failed to pick up a win in their last four outings, which has left them 17th in the league table – matching Nottingham Forest on 27 points – with just seven games left to save their season.
Indeed, Palace are no strangers to bad form, after becoming the last team in the Football League to pick up their first win of 2023, which finally came in Hodgson's first game back in charge against Leicester City just three weeks ago, but they have since then gone unbeaten, so the meeting will be no easy task for Everton.
Who is suspended for Everton this weekend?
Following an altercation with Harry Kane in the well-fought draw with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month which led to a red card and suspension, Abdoulaye Doucoure remains unavailable for selection whilst he serves his ban.
The 30-year-old midfielder will be eligible for selection again when Everton host Newcastle United at Goodison Park on 27th April.
What is the latest Everton injury news?
Andros Townsend remains ruled out for selection following a battle to recover from an ACL injury, however, Dyche will have several knocks and small injuries to battle with when putting together his starting XI this weekend.
The Everton boss confirmed on Thursday that club captain Seamus Coleman will not be available for selection this weekend due to a hamstring injury, whilst Ruben Vinagre has been ruled out for the foreseeable after sustaining an Achilles injury during training ahead of the Spurs clash, and will be unlikely to feature due to the potential need for surgery.
A big question mark has been hanging over Amadou Onana's availability after missing out on the Fulham game last weekend due to a groin strain, and Dyche took to his pre-match press conference to give a better insight into the midfielder's recovery:
"Ama (Onana) has made a bit more of a recovery. He was training today and we'll see how that reacts tomorrow."
Despite several concerns ahead of the weekend, there has been one massively positive development from the recovery room, with a potential return for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
What is the latest Dominic Calvert-Lewin injury update?
Following the disappointing defeat at Goodison Park last weekend, Dyche has delivered some promising news about Calvert-Lewin's availability for the upcoming clash against Palace when he spoke to the press:
"He will certainly be in my thinking, without a doubt. [The behind-closed-doors match on Tuesday] was all about him, really. It was the end of a rehab period so we're very pleased that he came through that and he felt good."
This promising message from the Toffees boss came after a 65-minute performance put on by the striker in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Chester this week at Finch Farm, clearly designed to build his fitness following a lengthy spell on the sidelines this season.
Not only that, but Calvert-Lewin also hinted at his hunger to get back onto the pitch this weekend by posting a three-word message accompanied by a training picture, sending fans into a frenzy on Twitter:
"Bring on Saturday! #UTFT"
Who could play instead of Calvert-Lewin v Crystal Palace?
Although it is looking very promising for Calvert-Lewin to return to action this weekend, Dyche will likely be cautious about throwing the relegation-threatened side's biggest talisman straight into the deep end after struggling with injuries over the last 18 months.
It wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone if the 26-year-old is eased back into top-flight football, and he could instead serve as a fantastic option from the bench in south London this weekend instead of being a nailed-on starter to ensure he doesn't burn out too fast or pick up any problems in the final hurdles of the relegation battle.
Luckily, the forward line seems to be one of the only areas of the pitch that hasn't come across niggles in the last few weeks, so Dyche should have a number of options available for selection this weekend.
Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil have been much more prolific in front of goal since the former was moved into a centre-forward role to make up for the absence of their experienced striker.
McNeil has been much more effective in front of goal since being reunited with his former manager – offering up two goals and one assist over the last three months, which included the winning strike in the 1-0 victory over Brentford last month.
Dyche has also been keen on several occasions to include Ellis Simms, involving him in a number of games in recent weeks. However, we think is unlikely that the breakthrough youngster will be put under pressure to start against Palace and the manager will instead be more likely to lean on his most experienced attackers.