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Post by Everton News. on Mar 20, 2021 10:20:45 GMT
Team News
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Everton will be without goalkeepers Robin Olsen and Jordan Pickford for Everton’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City at Goodison Park on Saturday (5.30pm GMT).
The Blues boss confirmed he expects the pair - who have abdominal muscle injuries - to be fit to return after the international break.
Ancelotti revealed Jean-Philippe Gbamin will start training with the team next week having entered the latest phase of his rehabilitation from an Achilles injury.
The Ivorian is starting to work on the grass at USM Finch Farm, introducing running and ball work into an individual recovery process.
James Rodriguez, who will miss the City game with a calf problem, is also expected to resume training next week.
Abdoulaye Doucoure remains out with a foot injury, while Fabian Delph is unable to feature against his former club due to a tendon issue.
“The two goalkeepers are out, Robin Olsen and Jordan Pickford,” said Ancelotti, who was speaking at his pre-match press conference.
“Jean-Philippe Gbamin is out but we have good news about him. He will start training with the team next week.
“James is out but he will start to train with the team next week, also.
“Doucoure and Delph will be unavailable.”
Several Everton First Team players will head off on international duty following Saturday’s cup clash.
The Blues return to Premier League action on Monday 6 April when Crystal Palace visit Goodison Park – and Ancelotti expects to have a significantly deeper squad to choose from for that game.
“In the international break, we have time to recover some players,” he said. “James is one of those and maybe Gbamin.
“James will be available for the game against Crystal Palace.
“Of course, the two goalkeepers will be available again after the break.
“I think we will only have Doucoure still out. He is doing well in his recovery but I think we have to wait a little bit on him.
“He is doing treatment. He has a fracture on his foot. He is still wearing the [protective] boot and cannot touch the floor.
“At the moment, we cannot say when he will be back.”
Everton FC
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Post by Everton News. on Mar 20, 2021 10:21:57 GMT
ANCELOTTI: 'AT A CLUB LIKE EVERTON THE AMBITION IS ALWAYS TO WIN'
It is clear that for this round of the FA Cup we have the hardest game possible.
But I discovered very quickly in my career that it is normal to have to beat the best teams to win a trophy.
There is an opportunity to do something special against a side at the top in every aspect – and create confidence which can be important for the final part of our season.
In the league game last month, we showed it is possible to compete with Manchester City.
For one hour we were strong defensively and after we conceded a goal the reaction was positive to equalise the match.
The second time they scored was the key moment, we had less time to respond and when you take some risks the game is more open and difficult to control.
For a different result today, we must improve our quality with the ball.
Manchester City will have more possession and when there is a chance to attack, we have to be clinical in front.
This is for all the players; the passing from midfielders to provide opportunities and our strikers being efficient in the box.
Also, we have Gylfi and Lucas, who are good on the set-pieces, and others who are dangerous with their heads in the penalty area, so this can be another way to cause problems for our opponent.
The only way to reach the semi-final is to do everything better than in our match against Burnley.
We started slowly and were punished with the two goals conceded.
I said many times, it is impossible to win if the character and attitude are not at the top level.
If you think you can rely only on your ability in the Premier League, you are making a big mistake.
The goal we scored was good, a fantastic cross from Tom and Dominic was in the right position, close to the goal.
After, the quality was not high enough. Burnley are really strong and organised.
It can happen that you have a bad night. If it is unusual, no problem, show in your reaction that you are a serious team.
Too many times, though, we lost opportunities at Goodison Park and we are focused on finding a solution.
Our position in the table is still good because we did a lot of positive things this season.
The progress is better than I imagined, in a lot of aspects.
We are competing with the top teams and in the away matches are clinical and playing with belief.
The squad is stronger than 12 months ago and the ambition of the Club is to continue improving in this way.
In the cups at Goodison, we have done really well, most of the time.
The last round of the FA Cup against Tottenham was a fast and intense and exciting match.
It was really difficult to sleep afterwards because of all the things that happened – and the adrenaline was still in the body.
The next day, though, our thoughts were on the Premier League and we forgot about the Cup until after the Burnley game.
In the past week all our concentration was put on today and this chance to move closer to winning a trophy for Everton.
We welcome Pep Guardiola and the staff and players of Manchester City.
Since they were at Goodison last month, City won five out of six Premier League matches and progressed in the Champions League.
Pep has incredible talent in his team but for the consistency they achieve the attitude and spirit have to be perfect.
Manchester City are the best side we faced this season. They have total faith in their strategy and are powerful and fast with the ball.
When they don’t have the ball, they work really hard to try to stop you from playing.
They have a top manager, who was there a long time, putting into the team his organisation and ideas.
The difficulty of the challenge is obvious but I am confident we can win the match.
In some games when we had to defend this season the results were good and the players can look at their teammates and see the quality and fighting spirit to beat any opponent, when we are in the right way.
Everywhere I went in football the idea was to compete until the end in every competition.
Everton has that ambition and it is right for this club that we try to win every game.
You can guarantee nothing – we see examples of this every week – but when the mentality is strong you are closer to the victory.
Enjoy the game,
Carlo.
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Post by Everton News. on Mar 20, 2021 10:23:20 GMT
ANCELOTTI ON HOW EVERTON CAN OVERCOME FORMIDABLE CITY
Carlo Ancelotti is promising a fast and ambitious Everton performance when Manchester City come to Goodison Park for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final tie.
Manager Ancelotti saw first-hand the devastating power of City when Pep Guardiola’s team won the Premier League game in L4 last month.
And the Italian insists it is imperative Everton don’t try to imitate their opponents’ style this weekend.
Avoid falling into that trap, reckons Ancelotti, and in a one-off knockout, Everton have every chance of progressing.
Equally, Ancelotti, who won the FA Cup as Chelsea boss in 2010, wants his side agile and decisive in possession.
“Every team has its own characteristics and Manchester City are fantastic with the ball, really good in possession and with a lot of ability one-on-one,” said Ancelotti.
“It is really difficult to compete there – but we can compete with a good attitude and spirit, with strong concentration defensively and trying to play efficiently when we have the ball.
“Also, using set-pieces, where we are strong.
“We have to compete but not with their characteristics… with our characteristics, we can compete – above all, in a knockout.
“We competed for an hour in the last game but we have to be better with the ball.
“It won’t be a long time [Everton have possession]… we have to be efficient, play quick and vertical.
“This competition is a big motivation, we are not so far [from the final], we had a really exciting game against Tottenham [5-4 win in round five] and we are going to have an exciting and difficult game this weekend.
“The desire is really big and I hope this desire can help us have more motivation and more spirit.”
Ancelotti, who was talking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, confirmed he will be missing both frontline goalkeepers against City.
Jordan Pickford and Robin Olsen are both expected to return following the forthcoming international break.
Meantime, Joao Virginia is set for only his second senior start and Ancelotti is confident the 21-year-old Portuguese – who replaced Pickford during last week's Premier League defeat by Burnley – has the composure and ability for the occasion.
Higher in Ancelotti’s list of priorities is ensuring his team implement the gameplan drummed into them this week.
On that score, he is confident after seeing a collective desire to atone for the Burnley setback.
“I am not worried because Joao is young, a goalkeeper without experience for this kind of game… he has a lot of quality,” said Ancelotti.
“He showed his quality against Burnley.
“I am not worried about the absence of the two goalkeepers.
“Where I am worried, is the team has to play like we tried this week – we tried to put in place the right strategy for the game and I hope the team is able to do this.
“It will be difficult, we know, and we would like, also, for it to be difficult for Manchester City.
“I have confidence, as usual, in this kind of game.
“After Burnley, the reaction in training was good.
“We are focused and concentrated and above all have a great desire to go forward in this competition.”
Ancelotti was coy over the exact nature of what he has in store for Guardiola’s City, other than his public demand for Everton to take the bull by the horns when they have possession.
However he sets up, there is likely to be a place for Michael Keane.
The defender is enjoying an excellent personal campaign – picking up where he left off last term under Ancelotti – but wasn’t named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad this week.
“He is focused on the game tomorrow… the only way to change this kind of thing is to work hard and be focused on what he is doing,” said Ancelotti.
“He has to be focused on the Euros [summer European Championship finals] and has two months to convince Gareth Southgate he can play for the national team.
“Michael doesn’t have to be worried about this, it can be an opportunity to try to do better.
“He is doing really well but he can do more.
“He has to be focused there and to try to improve.”
Paul McNamara / Everton FC
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Post by Everton News. on Mar 20, 2021 12:02:48 GMT
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Post by Everton News. on Mar 20, 2021 16:46:13 GMT
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