Everton will look to bounce back from that disappointing defeat to Leicester when they head to the south coast to take on Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup third round.

The Toffees were woeful against the Foxes on Saturday and were deservedly beaten 2-0 in what was arguably their worst performance of the season.

Frank Lampard was tactically outsmarted by Brendan Rodgers, with Everton unable to break free from Leicester’s aggressive press. In contrast the visitors seemed to break into space with ease, particularly the impressive James Maddison and Youri Tielemans.

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It felt like some of the bad habits from last season had crept back into their game, with the side’s lack of creativity brutally exposed. To cap things off three players suffered injuries - most notably Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was forced off with a hamstring problem.

The result piles the pressure on the side going into their final Premier League game before the World Cup break against Bournemouth on Saturday.

For now, though, they take on the same opposition the cup and will look to regain some confidence that was knocked out of the side at the weekend. It will also present an opportunity for some squad players and those who are returning from injury.

Staying clear of relegation trouble is the absolute priority but a decent cup run would not go amiss either, especially in a competition where Everton have historically under-performed.

Taking some positive vibes into the winter break would also be most welcome. The team has made great strides this season but their position remains precarious, with the Premier League looking as competitive as it has been for a long time.

The opposition

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Bournemouth are another side seeking some cheer before the World Cup break.

A month ago the Cherries were ninth in the Premier League and unbeaten in six games under interim boss Gary O’Neil, who replaced Scott parker in August following that hammering by Liverpool at Anfield.

But since then they have lost four straight matches, including conceding a 3-1 lead at Leeds on Saturday to lose 4-3, to sink to 17^th in the table.

That makes Saturday’s game a huge encounter for both sides, though the confidence boost of a win on Tuesday cannot be underestimated.

This will only be the 15^th meeting between the two sides and only the fifth in cup competition – the last being a 2-0 FA Cup victory for the Toffees under Roberto Martinez in 2016.

Everton have only lost four of those matches, but two of those have come in the last two meetings.

Previous meeting

Everton 1-3 Bournemouth, 26 July 2020

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The last game between the sides took place behind closed doors at Goodison on the final day of the delayed 2019-20 season. Moise Kean scored for the Toffees but it was the Cherries who came away with a 3-1 win, though it was not enough for them to avoid relegation.

Team news

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Everton will assess Idrissa Gueye, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Amadou Onana after they all picked up injuries against Leicester, though they will almost certainly miss out on Tuesday anyway as Lampard shuffled his pack.

Asmir Begovic, Nathan Patterson, Mason Holgate, Ruben Vinagre, James Garner, Tom Davies, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Neal Maupay are likely to feature.

Lampard has confirmed academy prospects Stanley Mills, Reece Welch and Tom Cannon could be involved in the squad.

Yerry Mina could also feature after recovering from a thigh problem. Ben Godfrey is in training but not yet ready for a return, while Andros Townsend won’t be back until after the World Cup break.

What they said

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Everton boss Frank Lampard: “My intention is to get some young lads on the bench for the game, to have a feel of being part of it and to see if we can get them on the pitch.

“I’d like to think we’d have two, three, four on the bench, but I can’t guarantee that until we have a squad count up.

“Stanley has been doing really well, scoring regularly, playing well, and developing really well, so it’s nice to give players like that the opportunity when they come around.

“(Tom) Cannon is another one doing well. Reece Welch is there, too, so we will see how it works.”

Final word

The Leicester defeat felt like such a backward step that this game has now taken on greater importance.

A victory, even in a game between much-changed sides, would be a timely boost and tee up Saturday’s second meeting perfectly.