Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has disclosed that back-up goalkeeper Robin Olsen should be back from injury in time for the next game, a league outing at home to title contenders Chelsea. 2,000 fans are expected to return to Goodison Park for the first time in almost a year to witness the Toffees take on Chelsea in one of the standout games on matchday twelve in the Premier League. Chelsea have been elevated to title contenders following an impressive run of four wins and one draw from the last five league outings.

On Olsen, Ancelotti told reporters in his post-match press conference after the Burnley game on Saturday afternoon that the Swedish international should be fit for the visit of Chelsea after missing the last two games. In his absence, former Huddersfield Town shot stopper Jonas Lossl has been the back-up goalkeeper to first choice Jordan Pickford in the last Premier League matches at home to newcomers Leeds United and away to Burnley. The goalkeeping department at Everton has its hierarchy with Pickford clearly the undisputed number one, while Olsen and Lossl are second and third respectively. Continue Reading

 

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that the club’s current formation is dictated not by tactics but by the amount of injuries in the squad. The recent loss against Leeds United saw Everton going with a different formation of 3-4-3. The lack of central defenders was one of the key factors behind this decision, according to Liverpool. The three defenders at the back featured Lucas Digne and fullbacks Coleman. There is no direct relationship but Everton have been unable to get a lot of success in recent weeks. The Merseyside outfit have seen just one win in the last six league outings.

Now, Ancelotti says that the emergency crisis with regards to the injury has forced him to play the different formation rather than tactics. He has suggested that Everton are likely to stick with the same 3-4-3 formation. The formation turns out to be quite flexible to accommodate a team that is thin in terms of resources. In the match against Leeds, Everton were deploying Alex Iwobi and Tom Davis as a wingback in order to counter for the lack of players. Ancelotti remains determined that the club will be able to see out this difficult period.
Continue Reading