TEAM NEWSRoberto Martinez says Tom Cleverley is in contention to return to first team action against Arsenal.
The Everton midfielder marked his comeback from an ankle injury with an appearance for the Blues’ Under-21s in their Premier League international Cup defeat to Schalke on Tuesday.
Steven Pienaar also played 45 minutes and Bryan Oviedo the full 90 in that game at Goodison Park in their bids for match fitness.
Martinez also confirmed Leighton Baines, Mo Besic, Tony Hibbert and Aiden McGeady are progressing well.
Arsenal will be without Aaron Ramsey who picked up a knock against Bayern Munich in midweek. Meanwhile, David Ospina is missing and boss Arsene Wenger doesn’t expect Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck back before the New Year.
FORMRoberto Martinez and his Everton side travel to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening to face an in-form Arsenal.
The Gunners will be in confident mood heading into their fixture with the Blues after securing an impressive 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Late goals from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil ensured a crucial win for Wenger’s side and they will be looking to follow the victory up by continuing their impressive league form.
Arsenal are currently second in the table, just two points behind leaders Manchester City, having secured 19 points from their first nine matches.
The North London club have won six of those games and have netted 11 goals in their last three fixtures, resulting in victories over Leicester City, Manchester United and newly-promoted Watford.
The Blues, however, will be eager to put their loss to Manchester United out of their system and return to winning ways.
Unbeaten on the road this season, Everton are in 9th with 13 points, eight of which have come from their fixtures away from Goodison Park.
CLASSIC MEETING: Everton 3-0 Arsenal, Sunday 6 April 2014.
Everton produced one of the performances of the season to secure a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arsenal and move to within a point of the fourth-placed Gunners in the race for Champions League qualification.
Scotland international Steven Naismith opened the scoring on 14 minutes when he followed up Romelu Lukaku’s initial effort and slotted home.
Lukaku himself then produced a wonderful solo run and shot giving the Toffees a 2-0 lead going into the break.
And Roberto Martinez’s side sealed the points on the hour mark when Kevin Mirallas forced former Blue Mikel Arteta to put the ball into his own net.
ONE TO WATCH: Theo Walcott
Traditionally used as a wide attacker, Theo Walcott has been picked by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger ahead of Olivier Giroud in the centre forward role in recent weeks.
And the 26-year-old has repaid that faith with four goals in nine appearances for Arsenal so far this season.
The Gunners’ current longest-serving player, Walcott looks to have continued his form from the tail end of the 2014/15 season, where he scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s fine league game against West Brom and the opener in the FA Cup final against Aston Villa.
And with seven already this campaign, he will be one to keep an eye on.