THE TOFFEES are set to be boosted ahead of their vital match against Crystal Palace as Michael Keane could be in contention to play.
The defender missed the 3-2 defeat to Brentford with sickness, but manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that he could be back for the Palace match.
The clash between the two sides is important for Everton as they look to solidify their position in the Premier League for next season, whereas Palace still have a chance of claiming a top-half finish.
Keane's timely return will be good news for Everton as Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey are both injured and Jarrad Brainwaite is suspended after his red card against the Bees.
Striker Salomon Rondon was also sent off in the match and will subsequently miss the Palace game.
Lampard said: “Michael [Keane] was sick the other night, we hope that was only a 24-hour thing, as it would be great to get him back.
“Other than that, the players you see are the players we have.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries, you can’t overestimate how much it can affect you to have three frontline centre-halves out.
"We’ve seen clubs miss their centre-halves and results change dramatically.
“They’re not for us because we’re fighting away and we’ll keep fighting.
“The players were spot on with the things we asked from them [against Brentford] and now they have to repeat that effort.”
Fabian Delph will also miss the game against Palace, but Manchester United and former palace target Donny van der Beek has a "possibility" of playing in the match.
Get all the latest news and views by following our new South London Sport Facebook page
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here