TEAM NEWSRonald Koeman is hoping to have a near full squad to choose from for the visit of Stoke City despite Tom Cleverley, Darron Gibson and James McCarthy picking up minor knocks in the EFL Cup win over Yeovil.
The trio reported niggles after Tuesday's 4-0 victory but the manager is confident all three will overcome them in time to be in contention to face the Potters.
Seamus Coleman, meanwhile, is making good progress in his bid to shake off an ankle injury but has been ruled out of Saturday's game.
For Stoke, Xherdan Shaqiri still has an outside chance of being passed fit but goalkeeper Jack Butland and defender Glen Johnson are both out injured.
Swiss star Shaqiri has sat out the last two matches with a calf strain.
Speaking on Thursday morning, Potters boss Mark Hughes said: "He might be an option for us at the weekend. He hasn't trained this week and still feels a bit of discomfort in the calf, which is still a bit sore, and that needs to go away before he joins in."
FORMEverton go into Saturday’s contest unbeaten so far this season. The opening-day 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur was followed up with Ronald Koeman’s first victory as boss at West Bromwich Albion last Saturday.
The Blues then comfortably made it into round three of the EFL Cup by routing Yeovil 4-0 on Tuesday.
Stoke are also safely through to the next stage of the competition as Peter Crouch’s hat-trick contributed towards a 4-0 win at Stevenage.
Fortunes have been less favourable in the Premier League however. Hughes’ side secured a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough in their first game but were beaten 4-1 at home against Manchester City last weekend.
PREVIOUS MEETING
Stoke City 0-3 Everton - 6 February, 2016.
When the sides last met, Everton produced one of their most-rounded performances of the 2015/16 season.
The damage was done before the break, with all three goals arriving before referee Andre Marriner’s half-time whistle.
Romelu Lukaku netted his 20th goal of the campaign from the penalty spot after Tom Cleverley had been upended in the area.
Seamus Coleman then celebrated the birth of his baby daughter by heading a brilliant 28th-minute second and Aaron Lennon took full advantage of a Philipp Wollscheid error to complete the scoring.
KEY OPPONENT - GIANNELLI IMBULA
Imbula became Stoke’s club record signing when he joined from Porto in February for a fee in the region of £18million.
Originally from Belgium, his first club was Guingamp in the then French second division and, after impressing in Ligue 2, he moved to Marseille in the summer of 2013.
After two seasons at the Stade Velodrome, Imbula headed to Porto but only spent six months in Portugal before Stoke pounced.
Imbula’s Potters debut came in the aforementioned clash with Everton in February - a game in which the Toffees ran out 3-0 winners.
His first competitive Stoke goal arrived just a week later in a 3-1 victory at AFC Bournemouth. The former French Under-20 international went on to make 14 appearances in his maiden season in the Premier League.
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