Everton will continue their pursuit of Premier League survival when they head to south London this afternoon for their clash with Crystal Palace, and Sean Dyche will be hoping that his team can revive their form before it's too late.
The Toffees are currently just outside of the relegation zone by the skin of their teeth – matching Nottingham Forest for 27 points – with only goal difference saving them from being in the bottom three, so snatching all three points from Selhurst Park today will be essential in their efforts to retain their top-flight status.
In terms of injuries, Andros Townsend remains unavailable for selection alongside Seamus Coleman, who is recovering from a thigh injury, while Ruben Vinagre could be set for a much longer spell in recovery due to the potential need for surgery.
However, the Everton boss did offer some positive injury updates during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, confirming that both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Amadou Onana could be in contention to start.
On Calvert-Lewin, Dyche revealed:
"He will certainly be in my thinking, without a doubt. [The behind-closed-doors match on Tuesday] was all about him, really. It was the end of a rehab period so we're very pleased that he came through that and he felt good."
Whilst, the manager claimed Onana will be subject to a late fitness test:
"Ama (Onana) has made a bit more of a recovery. He was training today and we'll see how that reacts tomorrow."
How could Everton line up vs Crystal Palace?
Jordan Pickford (GK), Nathan Patterson (RB), Michael Keane (CB), James Tarkowski (CB), Vitaliy Mykolenko (LB), Idrissa Gana Gueye (CM), Amadou Onana (CM), Alex Iwobi (AM), Demarai Gray (RW), Dwight McNeil (LW), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (ST)
Football FanCast predicts that Dyche could be set to make three changes to the team that lost 3-1 to Fulham at Goodison Park last weekend and deploy a 4-3-2-1 formation to accommodate the return of key players.
The first change we expect to see is in the back four, with Nathan Patterson reprising his role at right-back in Coleman's absence, alongside an otherwise unchanged defensive setup that includes Michael Keane, James Tarkowski and Vitaliy Mykolenko.
£16m Scottish full-back Patterson – dubbed a "diamond" by BBC pundit Danny Murphy – has been rarely seen following a battle with injury problems this season, but he could now finally get his opportunity to impress Dyche with a positive performance against the Eagles this afternoon.
The second change we predict is Onana's return to the starting lineup to add physicality in the centre of the pitch alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye, replacing James Garner.
The third and final change we expect to see is the long-awaited return of Calvert-Lewin in the centre-forward role for the first time since February, with Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil retaining their roles in the wider positions to feed the 6 foot 3 striker vital opportunities in front of goal.
With that being said, it will be a great opportunity for Everton if Calvert-Lewin can turn his charm on against Crystal Palace once again this afternoon and could put the Toffees in a great position to take all three points away from home.
