Everton duo back in training ahead of Manchester City clash
Everton will face Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday (26 February), and Frank Lampard has delivered some positive injury updates.
The Toffees boss has confirmed that both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Demarai Gray have returned to full training, but whether they are fit to start remains a big question.
Ben Godfrey is still out with injury, and he is still a few weeks away from returning to action.
Ukraine defender Vitaliy Mykolenko is one player who will be given special consideration, given the current war situation with Russia. Lampard has suggested that he will speak with the 22-year-old defender.
Reliable journalist, Richard Buxton, has relayed the team news on Twitter. He wrote: “Ben Godfrey won’t be back. He’s still a couple of weeks away. With Doucoure & Gray, they’re both training with us and in the squad. The issue for me is if they start… I’ll have to decide whether they’re ready to start. But it’s good to have them back”
Lampard on Mykolenko: “He’s okay. I’ve spoken to him, the club have spoken to him. He has every bit of support from our end, if and when he needs it. He knows that support mechanism is there. It’s ultra important that he feels that from us.”
Big boost
This is a huge game for Everton, and Lampard will be hoping that the Toffees will bounce back to winning ways.
The return of Doucoure is huge for the club, and it will be interesting to see if Lampard can use him in the first team straight away.
In the previous game, Andre Gomes failed to provide the spark in midfield, and Lampard must change the system against Man City.
The Premier League champions are expected to maintain strong possession in midfield, and therefore it will be very important for the Toffees to remain patient throughout.
Lampard should switch to a three-man midfield using Doucoure alongside Donny van de Beek and Allan. Doucoure can be used as a box-to-box midfielder while Van de Beek can perform versatile roles.
Everton played arguably their best football against Leeds United when they won 3-0, and Lampard will be expecting a similar sort of effort from his team.
In other Everton news, a Super Computer has made Everton’s relegation prediction after their shock loss v Southampton
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