Everton will be without a handful of their midfielders when they host Leeds United in just over a fortnight.
The two teams will meet at Goodison Park on February 12 and the problems in that part of Merseyside continue to worsen.
The Toffees, who are currently without a manager, are 16th in the Premier League just four points above the relegation zone.
To make matters worse, they have today announced that Abdoulaye Doucoure and Leeds academy graduate Fabian Delph will remain out of action for at least the next four weeks.
Tom Davies was already unlikely to be available for the visit of the Whites which leaves Everton extremely light in the midfield department.
The only viable options left within the squad are Andre Gomes and Allan who both have sketchy injury records themselves.
It will provide a boost for Leeds who also have issues in the middle of the park with Kalvin Phillips still out of action following the successful surgery he had on his hamstring.
Adam Forshaw was absent for the defeat to Newcastle but he is set to return to the starting XI for the visit to Aston Villa after the break.
Marcelo Bielsa should have the services of Charlie Cresswell and Jamie Shackleton to call on upon the return to Premier League action after he claimed back at the start of the month that they would return in February.
Junior Firpo’s lay-off remains unclear following the hamstring injury he sustained in the win against West Ham at the London Stadium but hopefully, if it wasn’t too severe, he will also be back in the squad at Villa Park.
Bielsa will be desperate to have as many players available as possible for the two upcoming games as a tough run of fixtures succeed the trips to the West Midlands and Merseyside.
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