Schneiderlin a doubt ahead of Everton - Chelsea clash

BREAKING: Morgan Schneiderlin is doubtful for today’s game after picking up a thigh injury during training. He will have scans amid fears that there’s a muscle tear.

Aside from that, Everton have no new injuries to report ahead of the big Sunday game against Chelsea at Goodison Park. That’s not to say that the Toffees have a full squad to choose from, with Yannick Bolasie, Seamus Coleman, and Ramiro Funes Mori all out for the rest of the season.

Midfielder James McCarthy looks unlike to be fit again before the end of the season, while fellow pivot Muhamed Besic is on the way back and Aaron Lennon is doubtful for this game.

With no new suspensions to worry about, the hosts could line up in their regular 4-3-3 that has brought such success at Goodison Park in 2017, a streak of eight wins in eight games.

Ronald Koeman’s attempt at countering Chelsea’s 3-4-3 away at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season proved to be a poor attempt, with the Blues getting overrun 5-0 in what the manager yesterday described as the Toffees’ worst performance of the season.

For Antonio Conte’s Chelsea side, his first concern will be the suddenly-porous defence that hasn’t kept a clean sheet in months. Subsequently, they have allowed Tottenham Hotspur to creep up to within four points of them, rejuvenating a hitherto languid Premier League title run.

Chelsea will come to Goodison determined to win and hoping Spurs drop points against Arsenal in the North London derby, and have no injury issues at all. This consistency and ability to keep players out of the physio’s room has played a key role in their maintaining an unrelenting grip on the League lead.