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Everton face big cup tie

By Matt Townsend

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City battles for possession with Tom Davies of Everton during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton FC at The King Power Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City battles for possession with Tom Davies of Everton during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton FC at The King Power Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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As speculation continues about whether Carlo Ancelotti, (or indeed someone else), will be the next Everton manager, the Blues face a big Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Leicester City tomorrow night.

After a couple of dramatic Premier League games, Everton now take on Leicester City on Wednesday for a place in the semi-finals of the old League Cup.

It would be a great fillip if the Blues could get to the last four, especially given what a torrid campaign Toffees fans have had to endure so far.

Given the other top Premier League sides, Liverpool, Manchester United and City are not for various reasons at their strongest in this competition, means that Everton have a pretty good chance of getting to Wembley this season – if they can get past the Foxes.

This will though be a tough game, especially given the Blues have so many injury problems. Hopefully interim boss Duncan Ferguson will have Djibril Sidibe and Gylfi Sigurdsson back in contention. Lucas Digne will still be out with the strain he suffered and which forced him off against Manchester United and Fabian Delph continues to be a major doubt.

So Ferguson will hopefully have more options to pick from. Presumably Sidibe, if fully fit will come back into contention for the team, and perhaps Sigurdsson too. However will he be tempted to stick with the same side that got such a great point at Old Trafford?

I think on balance that if Sidibe is fully fit he should be picked and I would also argue that despite his excellent performance on Sunday, Mason Holgate should revert to playing alongside Yerry Mina as Leicester have a lot of pace up front, particularly with the very in-form Jamie Vardy.

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Holgate might actually be able to make the switch to midfield long-term and I think it’s possible he could replace what Everton have lost since the departure of Idrissa Gueye. With his pace and ability to get right across the pitch he could offer that defensive screen, and he also has good ability on the ball as well.

Unlike at Old Trafford however, the Toffees will have to make more of the running in this match, and Leicester are very dangerous on the break. So this might leave the Blues a bit stretched in a more open game and a lack of pace at the back could prove a real problem. So if Sigurdsson is fit than perhaps he should start alongside Tom Davies.

The Foxes have not been quite as effective recently as earlier on in the season, and Everton played well at the Kingpower Stadium and perhaps should have got a point. So there shouldn’t be any fear as far as the Blues are concerned, only a healthy respect for a good quality opponent.