EVERTON DUO SET FOR CITY RETURN

Submitted by content on Tue, 03/01/2022 - 07:44

Everton are set to welcome both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Demarai Gray to their squad ahead of the home game with holders Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend. Everton play hosts to a wounded Manchester City team at the Goodison Park on Saturday with both teams looking to bounce back from respective defeats.

Everton went into the Southampton game last week Saturday on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 home win over Leeds United in what was the first taste of victory for new manager Frank Lampard only for them to be brought down back to earth by the Saints with a 2-0 defeat. Everton conceded the two goals in the second half with Scotland international Stuart Armstrong and substitute Shane Long finding the back of the net for the Saints. For Manchester City, they were on a 14-game unbeaten run in the league before they fell to a dramatic 3-2 home loss to North London team Tottenham Hotspur with last summer's transfer target Harry Kane scoring the winning goal deep into injury time and few minutes after Riyad Mahrez had scored a Manchester City spot kick to pull the game to 2-2.

Manchester City are presently six points ahead of rivals Liverpool at the top of the Premier League log though the Reds have played a game less than them. By the time City face Everton in the late kick-off on Saturday, they could be three points ahead of Liverpool if the Merseyside giants are able to beat Leeds United at home in their outstanding game billed to take place at Anfield later on Wednesday.

The injury news for Everton ahead of the City game is that they might welcome both Doucoure and Gray to their squad after the two players missed some league games recently due to respective groin problems. Englishman Gray has missed the last two league games after suffering the groin injury in the first half of the 3-1 loss at Newcastle United in the league earlier this month. For Frenchman Doucoure, he has missed the last three league games after suffering a groin issue in the second half of the 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa in the league. Both Doucoure and Gray are regulars in the Everton starting XI this season.