Everton

Everton midfielder James McCarthy is set for a lengthy spell out of action after it was confirmed he suffered a double leg fracture against West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

McCarthy went in for a challenge against Albion striker Salomon Rondon and was caught awkwardly by the Venezuelan.

Everton announced the extent of his injury later on Saturday:

💙 | All our thoughts are with James McCarthy this evening after it was confirmed he has suffered a double leg fracture.#GetWellSoonJames pic.twitter.com/JpEEIBrKcJ

— Everton (@Everton) January 20, 2018

It was only in March 2017 that another Goodison Park-based Republic of Ireland international, right-back Seamus Coleman, also suffered a leg break during a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Wales.

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker defended an emotional Rondon after the incident and said the 28-year-old was "blameless" as the BT Sport Score cast reacted:

"Rondon has gone away in tears..."

"It's snapped it in half..."

The #BTSportScore team assess the injury that Everton's James McCarthy has sustained. pic.twitter.com/ewICyzwCbN

— BT Sport Score (@btsportscore) January 20, 2018

McCarthy only recently returned to fitness following back-to-back knee and hamstring injuries, with Saturday's outing being just his third start of the Premier League campaign.

Paul Joyce of The Times provided comment from Everton manager Sam Allardyce, who confirmed it was a break of the tibia and fibula McCarthy suffered.

Injury analyst Ben Dinnery also compared the expected return time from such an injury with the case of Coleman, who is still yet to make an appearance for the club this season:

Allardyce confirms James McCarthy has suffered a double leg break.... #EFC

* Coleman sidelined 302 days

** Typically around 9-10 months out [average 290 days]

— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) January 20, 2018

McCarthy might have hoped to establish himself as one of the Toffees' signature pieces under Allardyce, having seen his place int the squad suffer slightly during Ronald Koeman's time in charge.

However, the Irishman's priorities will now turn to tackling a serious injury setback. Although positives are hard to come by at times such as these, it will help McCarthy to have compatriot Coleman lend a sympathetic ear.

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku is reportedly considering legal action against Farhad Moshiri after Everton's majority shareholder claimed the Belgian left the Toffees in the summer because of a "voodoo message." 

According to Paul Hirst in The Times, Lukaku met with his legal advisers to discuss the matter on Wednesday and has been left "sad and angry" by Moshiri's claims.

A spokesman for the United player said:

"Romelu's decision [to leave Everton for United in June] had nothing to do with voodoo. He distances himself from these beliefs and this statement and will now see what judicial steps can be taken in relation to them. Romelu is Catholic and voodoo is not part of his life or his beliefs."

Moshiri, who owns a 49.9 per cent stake in Everton, made the claims on Tuesday at the Merseyside club's annual general meeting.

Per the Guardian's Andy Hunter, he said that, at the time, Lukaku was desperate to rejoin former club Chelsea and there was nothing he could do to persuade him to stay after the 24-year-old had turned down a £140,000-per-week contract:

"I can assure you we tried everything to keep Rom. If I tell you what we offered him you wouldn't believe it. We offered him a better deal than Chelsea and his agent [Mino Raiola] came to Finch Farm to sign the contract. Robert [Elstone, Everton's chief executive] was there, everything was in place, there were a few reporters outside, then in the meeting Rom called his mother. He said he was on a pilgrimage in Africa or somewhere and he had a voodoo and he got the message that he needs to go to Chelsea."

Lukaku eventually joined United for £75 million rather than going back to Chelsea—the Blues signed Alvaro Morata to fill their No. 9 role.

According to Hirst, Moshiri has subsequently said he is "planning to contact Lukaku to try to smooth over the upset created by his comments, claiming that he had not meant to offend the player."

Lukaku should be back in action for United when they face Stoke City in the Premier League on Monday at Old Trafford.

The Belgium international has enjoyed a decent start to life with United as he has netted 14 goals in a combined 27 Premier League and UEFA Champions League appearances. 

Everton have missed his prolific goalscoring in 2017-18, and their poor start to the campaign saw manager Ronald Koeman sacked back in October.

Sam Allardyce, the Dutchman's successor, has led a recovery that has seen the Toffees move up to ninth in the Premier League table, but they have netted only once in their last four English top-flight matches. 

Everton defender Mason Holgate is reportedly facing a possible ban after the Football Association were made aware of posts allegedly made on social media from the player containing homophobic language.

As reported by Matt Hughes of The Times, the 21-year-old made the remarks in question in 2012 and 2013. In the exchanges Holgate used terms like "fag", "faggot" and "battyboy."

The FA is continuing to investigate an allegation from Holgate that he was racially abused by Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino during Liverpool's 2-1 Merseyside derby win in the FA Cup third round on Friday. 

According to Matt Lawton of the Daily Mail, the match official for the game, Bobby Madley, has said in his match report that he was unaware of any racist language used by the Liverpool No. 9. The referee was stood between the two players during the exchange.

"Accompanied after the game by manager Sam Allardyce and director of football Steve Walsh, Holgate complained to Madley that Firmino had used the word 'negro'," wrote Lawton. "But if Firmino does dispute the claims, his defence is sure to highlight that Madley was perfectly placed and did not take action."

The exchange occurred after Holgate bundled Firmino into the crowd at Anfield.

As noted by Lawton, the Liverpool man was determined by lip-readers to be yelling in Portuguese at Holgate, with the supposed words translating to "are you crazy, you son of a bitch?" Firmino's face is blocked by another player at one point, before the Everton defender reacts furiously.

Holgate has since deleted the social media posts in question, although he could still face disciplinary action.

Last season, former Burnley forward Andre Gray was banned for four games after Twitter posts emerged from 2012 containing homophobic language.

Everton's major shareholder Farhad Moshiri has revealed Romelu Lukaku was set to sign a new contract with the club late last season before a "voodoo message" prompted him into changing his mind. 

Speaking at the Toffees' Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, Moshiri detailed how close the Belgian came to penning fresh terms at Everton, before the now-Manchester United forward backed out.

"His agent went to Finch Farm to sign the contract," he said, per PA Sport (h/t ESPN FC). "Then somehow during the meeting, Romelu called his mother and said she was on a pilgrimage to Africa and had seen some sort of voodoo message that said he had to sign for Chelsea."

As noted in the piece, Lukaku's agent, Mino Raiola, had previously reported Lukaku's new contract with Everton was "99.9 per cent" finalised, with the Belgian forward said to have been offered a weekly wage of £140,000.

The Red Devils eventually beat the Blues to the signing of Lukaku, who moved to Old Trafford in a deal worth an initial £75 million. Moshiri said he would be worth a lot more than that now.

"I got close to Rom. I like the boy, he's a good boy, and I used all my charm to keep him and I flatly failed," Moshiri added. "Ultimately, we lost money. To buy Rom now would be £120 million. The issue was his brain had gone. He was in Los Angeles [with Paul Pogba], and he wouldn't come back."

Per BBC Merseyside Sport, Moshiri made it clear he was desperate to keep the striker at Goodison Park:

Moshiri says allowing Lukaku to leave was not financial. "It's a football decision. With Romelu, I wasted 2 summers trying to keep him. Last summer, we offered him a better deal than Chelsea. He wanted to play for Chelsea. I did whatever was humanly possible."

— BBC Sport Merseyside (@bbcmerseysport) January 9, 2018

After making his move to United, Lukaku enjoyed a blistering beginning to the campaign, although the goals have dried up a little recently. Overall, he's netted an impressive 16 goals in 31 appearances for his new club.

Last term Lukaku excelled for Everton, and his goals looked as though they may power the Toffees to a top-six finish under Ronald Koeman. Eventually they finished in seventh position in the table.

Everton's director of football, Steve Walsh, also spoke at the forum and suggested the value of Lukaku's goals to the team had been overstated, per Paul Joyce of The Times:

Steve Walsh, Director of Football: “If you took away all of Romelu Lukaku’s goals last season, we still would have finished seventh.”

— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) January 9, 2018

Nevertheless, the Toffees have missed his presence at the point of the attack this season, as they've failed to get close to the standards set last year.

With no natural replacement signed for Lukaku in the summer, the team were facing a relegation battle before Koeman was sacked. Everton turned to Sam Allardyce to pull them out of trouble, and the experienced coach has done so, with the Toffees sitting safely in ninth in the table.

Everton have completed the signing of Cenk Tosun, signing the Turkey striker on a four-and-a-half-year contract, per the club's official website.

The Toffees have paid Besiktas £27 million for the attacker, with Tosun expressing his eagerness to impress on Merseyside, per BT Sport Score.

Tosun's arrival answers manager Sam Allardyce's desire for a striker who will add pace, goals and physical presence to the Everton forward line. Allardyce had recently talked up the Toffees' need for more firepower, noting how finding a prove goalscorer is "the hardest job of all," per David Maddock of the Daily Mirror.

Goals have been something Tosun has dealt in all season for the Black Eagles. The 26-year-old has scored 14 times across all competitions, helping Besiktas qualify for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in the process.

The fact Tosun has been content to turn his back on playing in the knockout phase of Europe's premier club competition underlines the financial and sporting lure of the Premier League.

For their part, Besiktas have been happy to indulge his desire to move on during the season. Club president Fikret Orman revealed the Black Eagles are already "working on a replacement," per Paul Joyce of The Times.

Tosun will know how his quickness, instincts and versatility will set him apart in an Everton squad lacking match-winners up top. Oumar Niasse and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have struggled to lead the line, while 20-year-old Nikola Vlasic and former Malaga star Sandro Ramirez are better suited in wide areas. 

Allardyce will count on Tosun to be the focal point of his team's attack, with his pace and the vision of Wayne Rooney a potentially potent combination.

Manchester United take on Everton at Goodison Park on New Year's Day after slipping to third place in the Premier League table following three consecutive Premier League draws.

Meanwhile, Sam Allardyce tasted his first defeat as Everton manager on Saturday as the Toffees lost 2-1 at Bournemouth. 

Read on for full details of how to watch the game as well as team news and a preview of Monday's match.

       

Date: Monday, January 1

Time: 5.30 p.m. (GMT)/12.30 p.m. (ET)

TV Info: Sky Sports Main Event (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream:  Sky Go (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)

    

Team News 

Everton could recall former United striker Wayne Rooney to the starting lineup after he started Saturday's defeat on the bench.

Ross Barkley is also closing on a return to action, and Allardyce has said he is "very close" to being available for selection, per the official Everton website.

However, the game comes too soon for Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman who remain sidelined.

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku should miss the trip to his former club after being stretchered off during Saturday's draw with Southampton at Old Trafford.

The striker clashed heads with Wesley Hoedt early on in the game, and Jose Mourinho said he could be out for the next two games, per Goal's Kris Voakes:

Mou on Lukaku: "I don't know, I just know that bad, bad news normally arrives immediately and on this occasion bad news didn't arrive. But obviously it was a problem. We lost him for today and I would say for at least two more games." #MUFC

— Kris Voakes (@krisvoakes) December 30, 2017

Marcus Rashford replaced Lukaku against Southampton and should keep his place up front with Zlatan Ibrahimovic out for a month, per sports journalist Duncan Castles:

Jose Mourinho: 'Zlatan one month out. I don't know, I really don't know (if Manchester United need reinforcement), but I'm happy with the players' attitude with the players' desires and I have no complaints about my players.' #MUFC

— Duncan Castles (@DuncanCastles) December 30, 2017

Long-term injury absentees Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Eric Bailly remain sidelined while Antonio Valencia has been missing since the win over West Bromwich Albion with no date yet been given for his return.

        

Preview

The pressure is increasing on Mourinho after a string of unimpressive displays by his side while Manchester City disappear into the distance at the top of the table.

An improved showing is therefore required from the Red Devils at Goodison, although they will have to do it without their top scorer Lukaku.

Football writer Liam Canning said Manchester United are at risk of missing out on the top four:

If Manchester United are not careful, they could easily lose out on a top four position. Would be absolutely detrimental. Simply have to get out of this rut.

— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) December 30, 2017

The Red Devils have lacked imagination and ruthlessness in front of goal in recent games, while the loss of Valencia and Bailly has left them vulnerable defensively.

Mourinho also has some tough decisions to make ahead of the game with a number of his players out of form and not playing to their full potential.

Everton, meanwhile, will need to show more attacking invention than they did against Bournemouth after managing just one shot on target, per the BBC's Greg O'Keeffe:

One shot on target all afternoon and some questionable selections for #EFC. #afcb deserve the points for their belief and extra flair.

Report: 👇https://t.co/3JmyVVC1vh

— Greg O'Keeffe (@GregOK) December 30, 2017

Tony Scott at the Liverpool Echo fears defences may dominate Monday's game:

Teamsheet for Everton v Manchester Utd on Monday.

EFC 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌
MUFC 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌

— Tony Scott (@Tony_Scott11) December 30, 2017

The match may not be shaping up to be a thriller, but it's a game United will be under pressure to win.

However, Everton and Rooney will be aiming to pour more misery on Mourinho, in front of their own fans, particularly with an FA Cup tie against Liverpool to follow.

New Everton manager Sam Allardyce is reportedly eager to launch a £60 million bid to try to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku. 

According to Darren Lewis in the Mirror, BVB are prepared to sell the prolific striker in the January transfer window, with Aubameyang said to be open to a move to the Premier League.

Lewis added that while Everton cannot give Aubameyang European football or guarantee it in the future, they have the finances to offer a hefty transfer fee for the Gabon international, as well as an attractive deal to the player himself.

Lukaku was sold to Manchester United for £75 million in the summer, and his absence has been felt by the Toffees this season.

Although they added fine attacking quality to their side in the wake of the Belgian's departure—spending nearly £70 million on Gylfi Sigurdsson and Davy Klaassen while re-signing Wayne Rooney for free—they never brought in a high-quality No. 9 to replace Lukaku.

Aubameyang would be a phenomenal signing, as he has proved himself to be one of Europe's most dangerous goalscorers since joining Dortmund in 2013.

The 28-year-old has netted 96 Bundesliga goals in 140 appearances for BVB—11 in 12 this season—since joining the club from Saint-Etienne.

He has also proved himself capable at the highest level, returning 11 goals in 15 appearances in the UEFA Champions League in the past two seasons, and he placed joint-21st in the 2017 Ballon d'Or voting.

The race for the #BallondOr has begun 🙌 pic.twitter.com/EMcAaJjzKz

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 7, 2017

Everton have endured a miserable 2017-18 campaign but have seen an upturn in form of late, winning three on the bounce in all competitions for the first time since August 2016.

If they were able to add Aubameyang to their squad, the Merseyside outfit would have a shot at breaking into the Premier League's top six in the coming seasons.

However, it will be tough to convince Aubameyang to move to Goodison Park, even if Everton have an offer accepted by BVB.

The AC Milan youth graduate has proved he belongs at a club that plays Champions League football, and he expected to join Real Madrid in the summer, according to Goal's Ronan Murphy.

Dortmund are struggling for form after a blistering start to the season, and Aubameyang arguably needs to move away from Signal Iduna Park to find success and silverware. But it seems unlikely he will view Everton as the solution.

Everton have appointed Sam Allardyce as their new manager on a contract until June 2019.

According to the Daily Express' Bruce Archer on Wednesday, Allardyce has agreed a deal worth £6 million per year. He stands to make £9 million over the course of the contract.

News that the 63-year-old will make the move to Goodison Park came via the club's official Twitter account:

Sam Allardyce will be at USM Finch Farm this afternoon to finalise terms on becoming the new manager of Everton Football Club.

David Unsworth will remain in charge of the Blues for tonight’s Premier League match against West Ham United at Goodison Park. pic.twitter.com/5CkrZrQEgv

— Everton (@Everton) November 29, 2017

Allardyce will take over from temporary boss David Unsworth, who had, in turn, stepped in to replace Ronald Koeman after he was sacked in October.

The new manager finds the Toffees in a perilous predicament in the bottom half of the Premier League, as they sit in 13th place and just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Allardyce has previously been revered for his work with struggling sides, and Henry Winter of the Times believes he's the right man for the Merseyside club, for now at least:

Allardyce makes sense for Everton. Sort out defence, instil belief, keep them up. #efc can then go back for Marco Silva in the summer.

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) November 27, 2017

Indeed, the coach has previously done excellent jobs in the Premier League. In his last two domestic roles, he came in at Sunderland and Crystal Palace midseason with both sides in serious danger of being relegated; in the end, both sides preserved their top-flight status.

Allardyce also did strong jobs at Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers earlier in his career.

Things haven't always gone well for the veteran, though. At Newcastle United, he was sacked seven months into the job in 2008. Meanwhile, his stint as England manager lasted for just one game, as he left by mutual consent after being the target of a sting by the Daily Telegraph.

The appointment of Allardyce represents a significant shift in ambition for a team that spent heavily in the summer on players such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford and Davy Klaassen.

The Everton supporters would have hoped to see the team build on the seventh-place finish they achieved last season, although a place in European football next season looks beyond this side at this point. For now, with so much spent and a new stadium potentially on the horizon, the sum of their aims must be to stay in the top flight.

Allardyce may not play the most stylish football, nor will he be a popular appointment at Goodison Park. But there's a sense among Evertonians that stability is needed, and the manager they've appointed has proved time after time he can bring that.

Everton and former Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce have reportedly reopened talks to bring the tactician to Goodison Park.

Sky Sports News reported the news on Monday.

The two were linked earlier in November before Allardyce ruled himself out of the running due to the club's indecision, per TalkSport (h/t Sky Sports' Richard Cooke).

Everton have been managed by under-23s coach David Unsworth of late, but the results have been disastrous. The Toffees sit in 16th place in the Premier League and have won just one match across all competitions since the start of October.

The club parted ways with Ronald Koeman on October 23 following a poor start to the season. Everton invested heavily during the summer, bringing in the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jordan Pickford, but the Merseyside club hasn't even come close to fulfilling expectations.

Allardyce has been a Premier League mainstay for years, managing the likes of Palace, Sunderland, West Ham United and others. He briefly took charge of England as well, winning his only match against Slovakia.

While he's hardly an inspirational choice to become the new manager, the fans appear to have readjusted their priorities at this stage of the season.

Bleacher Report's Matt Jones explained:

Never wanted Allardyce, but have made peace with it. In this state Everton can't turn their nose up at anyone with a proven record of keeping teams in the top flight. Strap yourselves in!

— Matt Jones (@MattJFootball) November 27, 2017

The club may have had big aspirations at the start of the season, but after a disastrous Europa League campaign and a poor showing in domestic competition, the focus should now be on avoiding relegation.

Allardyce has plenty of experience in that role after saving Sunderland and Crystal Palace from similar situations in the past two seasons. 

Everton's majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, is reportedly keen to make Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone the club's next manager.

According to Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol, the Toffees chief is thinking big, while the club is also considering Sam Allardyce, Watford boss Marco Silva and Everton caretaker manager David Unsworth:

Owner Farhad Moshiri wants Diego Simeone to be Everton manager. Other more realistic targets: Allardyce & Marco Silva or give it to Unsworth

— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) November 7, 2017

Simeone is rated as one of the finest managers in world football, and it'd be a huge surprise if the Premier League side could pry him away from the Wanda Metropolitano.

Since taking over at Atletico in 2011, the coach has done an exceptional job, leading the team to the Copa del Rey in 2012-13 before steering his players to a surprise title triumph in 2013-14.

During their title-winning season, Atletico also made it to the UEFA Champions League final, a feat they repeated two years later. However, rivals Real Madrid edged them out in both matches.

Sky Sports' Alan Myers believes that if the Toffees have any chance of getting Simeone, they will have to wait until the summer:

Simeone is indeed the No1 target for Moshiri, definitely not at this point but the summer could be different

— Alan Myers (@ALANMYERSMEDIA) November 7, 2017

Even so, if Simeone is open to moving, then surely there will be grander clubs interested in him based on the incredible job he's done in the Spanish capital.

At this point, Allardyce appears a more realistic option for Everton, who have endured a poor start to the Premier League campaign despite their summer investment. The former England and Crystal Palace boss is renowned for his ability to steer teams away from relegation trouble, and the Toffees sit in 15th in the table.

Dominic King of the Daily Mail reported the 63-year-old had held talks with Moshiri about the position. But speaking to TalkSport on Tuesday, Allardyce denied there had been any contact.

Silva has impressed plenty with his work in English football, as he gave Hull City a fighting chance of staying in the top flight last season. He's also shone with Watford early in the campaign, though the team are on a three-game losing streak.

Unsworth stepped in to replace Ronald Koeman after the Toffees axed the latter in late October. He picked up his first win in dramatic circumstances against Watford on Sunday. Everton trailed 2-0 before making a stunning comeback late on to win 3-2.