Everton in the Cup! Preview By Simon Mack !

Everton vs Leicester

Wednesday 18^th December 2019

7:30pm

Goodison Park

Leicester City take their incredible unbeaten run up to Merseyside on Wednesday night in a Carabao Cup ¼ Final match up with Everton.

The foxes will probably have one eye on the weekend’s events as a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face 3^rd placed Manchester City in the Premier League awaits, but at the same time the burning desire for a trophy in the cabinet at King Power Stadium shines brightly and city Manager Brendan Rodgers will be eager to give this chance of a semi-final berth for his side the best possible chance.

For Everton interim box Duncan Ferguson this could be his last game in charge of the toffees as former Chelsea, AC Milan and Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti in reported imminent at Goodison Park and might even be up in the stands for this mid-week cup battle in the cold. Everton’s improvement in form since Ferguson replaced Silva at the helm has born truth to the quality amongst the toffees ranks and this could well be a sterner test than the recent home 2-1 league victory against the toffes at the King Power a couple of weeks ago.

Ferguson has asked for a “bear pit” atmosphere from the fans in his likely swansong and the greatest hope of silver wear at Goodison this season, and his 4 points in 2 league games as Everton boss achieved against Manchester United and Chelsea show that his charges have been inspired by the passionate Scot’s love for the club and the game.

Toffee’s forward Moise Kean has had a chequered time on Merseyside since joining Everton from Juventus in a big money move in the summer and his chances of featuring in this one seem to have faded as Ferguson controversially substituted the 19 year old after less than 20 minutes up at Old Trafford at the weekend. Former Barcelona defender Lucas Digne will also sit this one out having picked up a groin injury in the same match that earned the toffees a point and Leighton Baines could well find himself in the starting line up as his replacement.

Fabian Delph could be fit for this midweek clash with the foxes and Gylfi Sigurdsson could be back after a short lay off with illness.

For Leicester this game brings a pleasant dilemma for highly rated manager Brendan Rodgers. In the space of 4 days his highly talented squad have a cup ¼ final and a huge league game against the suitors for their lofty 2^nd spot in the table. Rodgers will have one eye on a superb chance to bring hugely desired silverware to the club whilst maintaining the foxes outstanding league progress to date, and if his charges are set for Europe next season this will be a dilemma that he will have to accustom himself with. City were a little off colour in their last league outing at the weekend against relegation fighters Norwich City and with both that and the looming league battle on the horizon the Northern Irishmen seems certain to shuffle his pack as the foxes head north.

In previous rounds Rodgers has deployed Kelechi Iheanacho, James Justin, Wes Morgan, Christian Fuchs, Hamza Choudhury, Marc Albrighton and Demarai Gray, and whilst wholesale changes may not be on the cards you’d expect a good few to be used along with the possibility of back up keeper Danny Ward.

Everton possible line up:

Pickford, Sidibe, Keane, Mina, Baines, Holgate, Delph, Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Tosun

Leicester City possible line up:

Schmeichel, Justin, Morgan, Soyuncu, Fuchs, Choudhury, Praet, Gray, Perez, Barnes, Iheanacho