Everton caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson will look to go out with a bang in what could be his final match in charge when the Toffees host Leicester City in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
The Scot has overseen a victory and a draw against Chelsea and Manchester United respectively in his two matches at the helm following the sacking of Marco Silva, although a report in The Telegraph suggests Carlo Ancelotti could be appointed and in place for the visit of Arsenal to Merseyside at the weekend.
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First up is the visit of the Foxes to Goodison Park though, and it is another tough opponent for the Scot given they currently lie second in the Premier League standings.
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This is the starting XI we think the 47-year-old should pick vs Brendan Rodgers’ men…
Even when Lucas Digne went off injured at Old Trafford on Sunday, the Everton back five – including Leighton Baines who replaced the Frenchman in the first half – were committed and stood up and were counted at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
That quintet certainly deserves to start against Leicester on Wednesday, and of course they will need to watch out for the Premier League’s top goalscorer in Jamie Vardy, who is in sensational form right now with 16 goals in 18 appearances in 2019/20.
Ahead of them, Tom Davies and Mason Holgate should keep their spots in central midfield, with the latter particularly impressing the fans against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side despite being a defender by trade. Ferguson may not have too many options there either, considering Andre Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Morgan Schneiderlin and Fabian Delph were all unavailable at the weekend.
On the wings we have Richarlison – who drops back from his centre-forward role – on the left and Alex Iwobi on the right, and they will be tasked with making a difference in the final third as well as providing defensive support for Baines and Coleman as Bernard drops out.
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Sticking with the 4-4-2 formation that has served Ferguson so well thus far, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a shoo-in for a spot right now following his impressive displays. The big Scot should also make the right call by starting Moise Kean alongside him.
The 47-year-old of course humiliated the Italian by taking him off 18 minutes after he was introduced at Old Trafford, and rather than letting the situation drag on he should provide him with an instant chance to prove a point in a partnership rather than playing in a lone role.
In other Everton news, Guillem Balague has made an extraordinary claim about what the Toffees have offered Carlo Ancelotti…
