Everton face a demanding run of four Premier League games in just 10 days over the festive period, but Marco Silva admits that could open the door for other players in his squad to step up and impress.
The Blues welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Goodison Park on Sunday before travelling to Burnley on Boxing Day then Brighton on 29 December, rounding off a quickfire run of league games with the visit of Leicester City on New Year’s Day.
Just 212.5 hours separate the Toffees first and last fixtures of that run – the slimmest margin of all 20 Premier League clubs – and Silva’s men then face Lincoln City in the FA Cup third round on Saturday 5 January.