The last time Everton completed the double over the Foxes in a league campaign, the Toffee’s were crowned champions. Although a title battle isn’t on the cards this season, a win would certainly bolster Everton's hopes of achieving a European position- their first in three seasons.  

Carlo Ancelotti said to the press pre-match he hopes Everton will soon be playing Champions League football and a win over Leicester City could see the Blues move into the top four. Following a win last time out in the Premier League away to Wolves, and a comfortable 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Sunday, the Toffee’s enter this contest high in confidence.

In the opposite dugout, Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes already occupy a Champions League place and if results go their way, the Northern Irish manager may well see his side go top. City travel to Merseyside in excellent form having won their last five matches in all competitions and without defeat since they lost to Everton nine games ago.

  • Team News

Ancelotti confirmed both Lucas Digne and Alex Iwobi are back available.

Fabian Delph and Allan miss out with hamstring injuries. Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Niels Nkounkou are also unavailable.

Everton will be without Abdoulaye Doucoure (suspended) who accumulated his fifth yellow card of the season against Wolves.

City will be without top scorer Jamie Vardy who underwent a minor hernia operation last Saturday. Rodgers said the striker is ‘sore as expected’ and hopes to have him back in training by the middle of next week.

The only other injury issues sees Dennis Praet and Wes Morgan continue to be side-lined, both with hamstring problems. 

  • Predicted line-ups          

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Keane, Mina, Digne, Iwobi, Davies, Gomes, Rodriguez, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin (5-2-3).

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Justin, Fofana, Evans, Castagne, Ndidi, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Albrighton, Perez (4-2-3-1)

  • Ones to Watch

Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The striker ended a six game goal drought by scoring on his return to action in the Cup having missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury. The England international has already scored 11 goals in the league this season, and will be hoping to keep himself in the race for the Golden Boot.  

Leicester City: James Maddison  

Maddison is certainly one to keep an eye on for the visitors with the attacking midfielder in nothing short of fantastic form. Since the start of the New Year, the Foxes number 10 has scored in every game of 2021, which equates to four in his last four.

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  • Head to Head

In the December meeting between the two sides, Everton left the King Power Stadium with all three points after goals from Richarlison and Mason Holgate secured a 2-0 win. That defeat turned out to be Leicester’s last in the league with the Foxes since picking up 14 out of a possible 18 points.    

Richarlison has scored in four of his five Premier League games against Leicester for Everton.

Ancelotti has won all four of his competitive managerial games against Rodgers.

Only once in the last 18 battles between both teams has there been fewer than two goals scored- a Jamie Vardy goal in January 2019 gave Leicester a 1-0 win at Goodison Park.

  • How to Watch

The match is available on BT Sport 2 with kick off at 8:15pm GMT.

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