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Everton host Crystal Palace on Monday night looking to get back to winning ways, but Carlo Ancelotti faces a few injury concerns ahead of the Premier League encounter.

The Toffees are winless in their last three games across all competitions and have only won two of their last eight held at Goodison Park, including defeats to Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley.

Crystal Palace will arrive on Merseyside striving to avoid the Blues doing the double after succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park back in September. The Eagles have now failed to beat Everton since 2014, losing six and drawing six of their recent encounters.

Ancelotti could rely on summer signing James Rodriguez to maintain his side’s imperious record after the Colombian’s return from a calf injury. But, with other players a doubt, here’s a potential line-up the Everton boss may field tonight…

Everton will be without Jordan Pickford against Crystal Palace, as the England goalkeeper continues his recovery from an abdominal injury.

Robin Olsen also sat out last month’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester City with a similar issue, but has recovered and will be in contention to guard the net against the Eagles.

Joao Virginia stood in for Pickford and Olsen against Pep Guardiola’s Citizens and impressed, so should now expect to retain the role on Monday night for what would be his first start in a Premier League game.

Ancelotti named a five-man defence of Lucas Digne, Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Seamus Coleman for the FA Cup quarter-final defeat last time out, but will be expected to favour a four-man line at home to Crystal Palace.

Holgate was sacrificed against Manchester City in the closing stages to allow for Everton to be more aggressive in search of an equalising goal and could be dropped from the starting XI to permit the Toffees to start on the front foot.

Godfrey is also a doubt for the Eagles’ trip to Goodison Park after returning from international duty with England’s Under 21s nursing a minor knock alongside teammate Tom Davies, and both could now be rested as a precaution.

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Davies’ absence in midfield would be expected to see a shift in formation from Ancelotti with Abdoulaye Doucoure potentially out for the rest of the season with a fractured foot, while Fabian Delph and Bernard are also set to be unavailable on Monday night.

Alex Iwobi may be drafted in for a starting role on the right-wing, with the £50k-per-week forward joining Richarlison in offering Everton greater width against the Eagles.

Iwobi has started the Toffees’ last three Premier League games but was dropped to the bench for the FA Cup clash with Manchester City, having failed to impress when given the chance to operate centrally in defeat to Burnley last month.

Iwobi and Richarlison may be joined in behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin by Rodriguez after the ex-Real Madrid maestro returned to full training over the international break following a calf injury.

Rodriguez has missed Everton’s last five games in all competitions as a result of the issue but had registered his eighth assist of the season during his last outing when setting Richarlison free to open the scoring away to Liverpool.

Ancelotti will hope to see more of the same from the 29-year-old, having urged Rodriguez to rediscover the form that saw the £27m-rated playmaker score three times and assist three goals in his first five Premier League games.

“James is in good condition and he trained well during the break,” Ancelotti said on Friday. “It is important for us to have him back at his best. At the start of the season, he did really well. He helped the team to score goals.”

His inclusion would be the third and final change.

AND in other news, a £45k-p/w flop has been backed to seal a summer move amid doubt in his Everton future…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has criticised the team’s defending in their win over Fulham, claiming it has “not been good enough” for a while.

The Whites picked up a welcome 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage last Friday, with goals from Patrick Bamford and Raphinha getting them over the line.

The win saw Marcelo Bielsa’s side jump to 11th place in the Premier League, as their impressive first season back in the top flight continues.

There was some shaky defending on show at times against Fulham, however, with Illan Meslier needing to be in inspired form in the Leeds goal.

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Whelan tears into Leeds’ defending

While some perhaps ignored the Whites’ issues at the back because of the positive result, someone who wasn’t impressed is Whelan.

Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-Leeds man highlighted where Bielsa’s men need to improve, giving an honest assessment of their shortcomings:

“It’s the art of defending. You’ve got to be up for the fight. You can’t let men get around you and you’ve got to rise to that competition.

“We’ve got to get the match-ups right. We recognised they weren’t and changed it at half-time.

“But they’ve got to be right from the off. You can’t keep getting them wrong and then changing them halfway through. We did that in the previous game as well.

“It’s not been good enough for the past few games. It’s one of those where that is just as important as the marking itself, if not more important.

“Bielsa’s got to get the match-ups right. If you get Llorente up against Andersen then he probably doesn’t score that goal.”

Transfer Tavern take

Leeds’ defending is certainly an area that needs to be improved upon next season, with 47 goals conceded in 29 league matches not a flattering tally.

For all their attacking flair and intensity off the ball, being solid at the back is still arguably the key to finding consistency and Bielsa will hopefully know that.

In other news, one Leeds player has hinted at a move elsewhere this summer – find out who it is here.

Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has reiterated her Old Firm derby cancellation threat if Glasgow Rangers and their rivals do not continue to do all they can to stop large groups of fans gathering.

Sturgeon reiterates Old Firm threat

Sturgeon had already suggested the match could be called off after thousands of Rangers fans took to the street less than 10 days ago to celebrate their first Premiership title win in 10 years (The Times).

Since then, both Rangers (via The Glasgow Times) and Celtic (via The Scotsman) have asked fans to stay at home for the clash between the two this coming weekend, but Sturgeon does not yet appear to be satisfied. She said (via The Daily Express):

“No final decision has been made yet. I welcome the statements made by both Rangers and Celtic.

“Of course it was Rangers fans who were gathering a week ago.

“I hope the clubs will continue that over the next couple of days. It can’t just be one statement and then it’s done. As we know, from our experience of the last year, these communications are really important on an ongoing basis.

“I spoke to the chief constable last week about his views on what might transpire if the Old Firm match goes ahead. The Justice Secretary has been in contact with the police and we will be in further contact with the police as this week goes on.

“They will have intelligence of their own about whether it appears to them that fans in the main are following the advice of the clubs and staying at home, or whether there’s a significant risk of fans coming out to gather.

“On the basis of all of that we will have to make a judgement.”

Trying too hard

Usually, this fixture has the potential to be a dangerous one. The Old Firm derby is one of the biggest rivalries in world football, and when something is on the line it can provide a hostile and tense atmosphere. However, this time around, it is likely to be at its most subdued.

After all, the Gers’ status as Scottish champions has already been confirmed with six games left to spare (BBC), while Celtic are destined to finish in a distant second place behind the Ibrox outfit. Why would Rangers fans risk the reputation of their club when the hard work has already been done? Any supporter who does should take a long hard look at themselves, especially in this current climate.

In other news, Rangers fans slam this Union Bears statement.

Steve Bruce could discover Newcastle United’s next Yohan Cabaye in Leicester City’s sought-after midfield prospect Sidnei Tavares.

What’s the word?

According to Noticias ao Minuto, the Magpies are one of several clubs monitoring Tavares’ situation at the King Power Stadium ahead of him becoming a free agent this summer.

The 19-year-old is currently due to be out of contract at the end of the season, but the Foxes are still making efforts to tie the Portugal U19 international down with a new deal.

It is considered unlikely that Tavares will continue his career with Brendan Rodgers’ side beyond the 2020/21 season, as the teen star is ‘disappointed’ that he is yet to make his full senior debut despite several inclusions in the first-team fold.

Newcastle could face competition from across Europe in any efforts to sign Tavares, with Sporting Lisbon seen to be heading a queue featuring Liga NOS rivals SL Benfica plus Spanish sides Sevilla and UD Almeria as well as Ligue 1 outfit OGC Nice.

Reports by The Sun during the recent winter transfer market also claimed that FC Barcelona have a gentleman’s agreement with Leicester to be Tavares’ first-choice destination, should he opt to leave the East Midlands as a free agent at the end of the season.

Scottish Premiership powerhouse Celtic are also exploring the teenager’s potential availability, having seen the cousin of ex-Manchester United star Nani emerge as one of the Foxes’ stand-out players during their EFL Trophy efforts earlier in the campaign.

Should Newcastle sign Tavares?

It will be hard for any club’s talent spotters to truly judge Tavares’ potential with him having played just 10 minutes of competitive first-team football in his career, but Rodgers lauded the central midfielder as a “real talent” following an “outstanding” performance during a pre-season win over Birmingham City last summer.

Rodgers also handed Tavares’ his only senior action to date as a late substitute during a 2-0 loss to SK Slavia Prague in the Europa League earlier this week, coming on immediately after the Czech side doubled their advantage to seal a place in the Last 16.

The Foxes boss must have some confidence in his potential to thrust the youngster on for his debut at a crucial stage of a game, though Newcastle can use his disappointment at fewer opportunities to feature to convince Tavares of a move to St. James’ Park.

On Tyneside, the 19-year-old talent could go on to establish himself as the Toon’s next Cabaye, having displayed a gritty nature in the Leicester engine room and with a creative touch for the U23s.

The Portuguese prospect has one goal and two assists to his name this season, including scoring and creating against League Two side Grimsby Town in a 3-1 EFL Trophy win in November.

Leicester’s official website, in their only recorded data for Tavares, also note an 80% pass success rate in a pre-season friendly, along with making a successful tackle from his only attempt and being successful in three 50/50 duels.

Cabaye was a gritty and creative presence in the Magpies’ engine room during his years in the north east, offering 18 goals and 14 assists in 93 games before joining Paris Saint-Germain for an initial £19m in 2014.

The Frenchman also offered at least 2.2 successful tackles from a minimum 3.6 attempts per Premier League game in black and white, plus a low-2.1 interceptions and 0.8 clearances, per WhoScored.

Obviously, Cabaye was already a much more proven product upon his arrival than Tavares would be, but the sought-after Leicester prospect would seem to have the base level that Newcastle can look build on for years to come.

AND in other news, a £6.5m-rated Newcastle outcast has been marked as a Premier League side’s top summer target…

Oladapo Afolayan may have played his final game for West Ham United already after the striker addressed the chances of signing for Bolton Wanderers permanently.

What’s the word?

In quotes by The Bolton News, Afolayan has stated that he is focused on helping the League Two side in their push for promotion during his time on loan at the UniBol, and that any talks over his future will have to wait.

The 23-year-old is out of contract with parent club West Ham at the end of the season but could be offered a permanent move to Bolton, with head coach Ian Evatt making no secret of his desires to keep the forward.

“He’s a good, young player with a lot of talent and a lot of ability. His work ethic is there as well,” Evatt said earlier this month. “He’s a bright one for the future and hopefully we can keep him at Bolton Wanderers for the long-term, that’s what we want to do.”

Afolayan had strived to secure a loan move for the second half of the 2020/21 season to play regular first-team football after an injury-ravished year in the Hammers’ academy, and has impressed during his nine fourth-tier outings to date.

Building on those appearances is the focus for now, with Bolton travelling to relegation-threatened Port Vale on Saturday looking to better solidify their Play-Offs position.

“Playing regularly is something that I’ve needed for a while now,” Afolayan said. “I’ve not had it for a few years. I’ve had injuries and things like that, and I’ve worked hard in the U23s at West Ham this season and in and around the first-team, and in January looked to go out on loan and get some regular football.

“It was an easy decision to come here once I’d spoken to the manager and seen everything the club wanted to do. It’s a really good club and I’m really enjoying my football here and to be honest, I’m just working hard and trying to help this team get promoted this season and then I’ll reassess my options after that.”

Exit signals

Afolayan stating that he will reassess his options at the end of the season could mark a signal to a future away from West Ham, where his only first-team action to date came in a 20-minute cameo during January’s FA Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers.

Afolayan scored from the bench eight minutes into his introduction at the London Stadium, but he is yet to find the back of the net for Bolton – although he is “not too worried” by his only goal involvement thus far being an assist in the second of his nine appearances.

Evatt does not seem concerned, either, and stated following Bolton’s 2-0 win over Scunthorpe United last month how he sees the “excellent” forward being able to operate across the Whites’ frontline.

“I just thought that Dapo likes to go and hunt the ball and dribble and because Scunthorpe were 4-4-2, we thought that having Dapo as the extra player in midfield, as the number 10, that he could really cause problems and create things from that position,” Evatt explained.

“He’s improving with every game, he’s getting fitter and stronger. He’s still a young player and people can’t forget that.”

But Afolayan’s progress at the University of Bolton Stadium may ultimately be for the Wanderers gain and not West Ham’s, unless David Moyes can convince him to sign a new contract.

Given that he’s keen to play regularly, it seems like he may well prefer a move to Bolton over sticking at West Ham where he’s unlikely to get much of a look in.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £43m asking price to land a 24-y/o ace who “never gets tired”…

One minute everyone is talking about who should replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and now it’s Roy Hodgson’s turn under the microscope.

What’s the word?

Hodgson, who is the oldest man to ever manage in the Premier League, has recently admitted he is “undecided” over his Crystal Palace future.

The former England manager is currently into his fourth season in charge at Crystal Palace since he was appointed in September 2017.

But the 73-year-old’s contract at Selhurst Park is due to expire this summer which has cast doubts about his long-term future at the club.

So with that in mind, it’s about time Steve Parish started searching for a potential replacement, and he may not have to look very far at all, with reports from The Athletic last summer claiming that Burnley manager Sean Dyche is someone who is admired by those at Palace.

Dyche is Hodgson’s heir-in-waiting

Some Palace fans have been crying out for the 49-year-old to replace Hodgson reports initially surfaced for the first time linking him to Selhurst Park last year.

Former Grimsby Town manager Michael Jolley, who learned the tricks of the trade under Dyche at Turf Moor, recently described his former boss as an “extremely intelligent” manager in an interview with Coaches Voice.

If Parish can persuade him to jump ship to Selhurst Park, he could almost completely transform the club’s fortunes. It goes without saying that he has performed something close to a miracle with the Clarets, often overachieving with very little in terms of resources, but he has also developed a system that has proven to be very hard for other teams to break down.

By the numbers, Burnley have conceded just 28 goals this season, the same amount as fifth-placed West Ham, which is nearly ten fewer than Hodgson’s side themselves (37). Think Liverpool, Arsenal and Wolves – these are just some of the scalps the Clarets have claimed in this campaign alone.

Setting his side up in his preferred 4-4-2 formation, Dyche’s side are prepared to put the hard graft in to frustrate and deny opponents, as they remain compact, sit back comfortably and defend in numbers. Hardly revolutionary, but doubly effective.

But that doesn’t quite paint the full picture. In terms of statistics, they aren’t necessarily a possession-based side, but have shown signs they have started to adapt to the ever-changing Premier League by controlling the ball and building up play from the back.

For instance, defensive midfielder Ashley Westwood averages 52.6 passes per 90. By comparison, that’s more than the likes of Jairo Riedewald and Patrick van Aanholt, the latter of which tops the Palace charts with 49.9 passes respectively.

However, Dyche does look well settled at Burnley, with the new board clearly keen to give him their full backing. But Dyche is arguably one of the most underrated managers in the game and if Parish can bring him to Palace, he could improve the team’s defensive frailities.

It’s exactly why the Eagles should revive last summer’s interest in the Burnley boss and seriously consider him as Hodgson’s heir.

AND in other news, Roy Hodgson should unleash Jean-Philippe Mateta against Leeds United…

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard will surely be furious with striker Alfredo Morelos for an alleged stamp on Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous in a recent Scottish Premiership match.

The Colombia international forward scored the winner at East Road but has been charged by the Scottish Football Association after appearing to stand on his opponent.

As with all great players, the Colombian has courted his fair share of controversy over the years. It isn’t the first time Morelos has been in trouble for his bad behaviour on the football pitch, having been hit by a two-game ban from the SFA for a foul on Dundee United’s Mark Connolly.

But, unfortunately for the 24-year-old, the goals have started to dry up this season. The Rangers target man had scored ten goals in 29 appearances across all competitions before his goal against Hibs. By comparison, in his past five games, he’s netted just once.

Former Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan has previously slammed Morelos for drawing attention to himself.

“I just think it was in an area of the pitch that was meaningless, it was a header that Mark Connolly won, it wasn’t going to affect the game, it wasn’t going to hurt Rangers in any way,” he said after the game against Dundee (via Daily Record).

“And all Alfredo Morelos has done is draw attention to himself. And when you look at the pictures, there is very little room to manoeuvre.”

And now, the Rangers striker faces the prospect of a three-match ban following the incident in the midweek win at East Road.

Morelos’ actions have often landed him in hot water with the Scottish football authorities, but it’s what awaits him back at Ibrox that he should be most concerned about.

Gerrard operates with a ‘no excuses’, zero tolerance attitude towards behaviour and discipline, as evidenced by Jordan Jones’ loan exit for Sunderland, and Morelos is no exception, as the Ibrox boss has shown no hesitation in dropping him for past infractions.

Following the arrivals of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe, his place in the starting XI has started to come under threat. He has made just ten goal contributions in the Premiership this season behind the likes of Roofe and James Tavernier.

Whilst he may well have initially transformed his fortunes after scoring against Hibs, this latest incident may prove costly, as it could have undone all of his hard work in recent weeks.

AND in other news, Rangers can sign perfect Brandon Barker replacement in Rochdale’s Kwadwo Baah…

Southampton recorded their second successive stalemate as they were held to a 0-0 draw against West Ham on Tuesday evening.

The Saints were nowhere near their best and rarely threatened Lukasz Fabianski’s goal, registering just three shots on target against the Hammers.

One man who especially disappointed in the Saints team was Che Adams, with the former Birmingham City man now having scored just one goal in his last eight appearances for the South Coast club.

Whilst he was paired with Danny Ings in the Southampton attack, a partnership which usually results in some excellent link-up play, the 24-year-old was anonymous for much of the game and was replaced shortly before the hour mark, although that could perhaps be attributed to the heavy blow to the head he received courtesy of Craig Dawson’s foot in the first half.

As per SofaScore, Adams picked up a 6.4 rating for his display, with only Ings rated worse of the Saints players who started the game.

During his time on the pitch, the young striker would touch the ball just 22 times, which was far fewer than the 41 touches of Saints ‘keeper Alex McCarthy.

The Englishman would also complete just eight passes during the game, which emphasises just how little he was involved against David Moyes’ side.

Despite being involved so little, he also managed to lose possession on as many as seven occasions, suggesting that he was very wasteful on the few occasions he actually had the ball.

Perhaps most frustratingly for Saints fans, was the fact that Adams missed arguably his side’s biggest chance of the game in the opening minutes, as he hit a tame shot straight at Fabianski despite having been found in plenty of space inside the West Ham penalty area.

Hampshire Live also rated Adams a disappointing 5/10 for his performance against the Hammers, with it clear that he was nowhere near his best on Tuesday night, so Ralph Hasenhuttl will be hoping that the 24-year-old is in much better form when the Saints face top-of-the-table Liverpool in their next Premier League fixture.

And, in other news… Saints must sign 6 foot 4 monster following Vestergaard setback

Glasgow Rangers must do everything in their power to prevent Allan McGregor from walking away for free at the end of the season as his performances between the sticks have surely warranted him a new deal.

The veteran goalkeeper’s contract with the club will run out at the end of this season and it’s becoming clearer and clearer that Ross Wilson simply must tie him down to a new contract after his recent run of form.

McGregor has been a big part of the Gers’ resurgence in form since the start of the season, with a strong showing against Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the season before he kept his third consecutive clean sheet in the league against St. Mirren at Ibrox.

And his latest display against the Saints in his 400th appearance for the club is further proof to justify such a deal, as he continues to be a ballast at the back for Steven Gerrard’s side.

Against Saints, he had a far more comfortable afternoon than his previous trip to Paisley, after he recovered from an early spill to erase the memory of the humiliating defeat at the hands of Jim Goodwin’s side in the Betfred Cup.

Per SofaScore, the 38-year-old received a high rating of 7.5 out of ten for his efforts – the third-highest rating behind Connor Goldson and Alfredo Morelos – he made three saves, including two saves inside the box, one clearance, won 100% of his duels overall, and was fouled twice.

Former Rangers fullback Alan Hutton has heaped praise on his former teammate, saying: “He’s genuinely been unbelievable.

“He’s up there for player of the year in my opinion. Some of the games he’s saved Rangers in, it’s been frightening.”

Despite his age, McGregor has continued to show that he can be a big game player for the Gers, which will no doubt prove to be useful as Gerrard juggles the challenges of managing both domestic and European campaigns.

It would be a surprise to see him leave as a free agent at the ned of this season, considering the lack of genuine options Gerrard has at his disposal, with Jon McLaughlin heavily linked with the Ibrox exit, and if he can help the Gers regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season, he may have written his name in the club’s history books forever.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers defender Filip Helander badly let Gerrard down vs St. Mirren…

23-year-old Angelino joined Julian Nagelsmann’s RB Leipzig side on loan during the summer transfer window and worryingly for Manchester City, they have an option to buy him for as little as £16.3 million (per Sky Sports).

The former PSV Eindhoven man has three goals in seven Bundesliga appearances so far this season, which has seen him average a superb 7.50 rating (per WhoScored).

He also has another two goals, plus an assist, in just three Champions League appearances for Die Roten Bullen, resulting in a strong 7.11 rating in that competition (per WhoScored).

This is significantly better than the average ratings offered by Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko for City so far this season, with the Frenchman having earned a terrible 5.89 rating across his three top-flight appearances, whilst the Ukrainian has averaged a 6.86 rating in his two Champions League performances and is yet to start a game in the Premier League.

This begs the question, why was Angelino sent out on loan, when his performances this season suggest that he would have been a much better option in Guardiola’s side?

The 23-year-old has featured for City’s first-team on just 15 occasions in his career, in which he contributed three assists, so you could definitely argue that he was never given much of a chance with the Citizens.

Nagelsmann was full of praise for the defender after his performance in the Champions League win against Istanbul Basaksehir recently, saying:

“Angelino is only unpleasant when he doesn’t play, which only happened twice this year. That pretty much describes his character.” (per Goal)

He also described one of the goals the Spaniard scored as “world-class”, suggesting that he rates Angelino highly and it is perhaps likely that Leipzig will make his loan move permanent.

Therefore, it looks as if City will lose out on Angelino to the German club in the near future, which is perhaps a shame, as he was never given a run of games to prove himself in Guardiola’s side and he could have been the solution to their left-back problem this season.

There is however a catch, which could see City rectify their error and offer him an Etihad future. Indeed, as per Sky Sports, Leipzig can only activate their option-to-buy after 12 matches across the season, with five of those matches coming in the second half of the campaign.

So if City can recall him before his move is made permanent in the January window, they should do so given his excellent form.