Watch Everton vs Liverpool live on Sky Sports Premier League on Super Sunday from 6.30pm; kick-off at 7pm
Tuesday 16 June 2020 18:15, UK
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has hinted Andre Gomes will play against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby - live on Sky Sports Premier League.
Gomes missed almost three months of football after breaking his ankle on November 3 - when he was stretchered off at Goodison Park following a challenge from Heung-Min Son - which left the Tottenham forward in tears.
His return from injury was short-lived, starting back-to-back matches against Manchester United and Chelsea, before the coronavirus pandemic froze the Premier League season.
Ahead of the top-flight restart, Ancelotti insisted Gomes would have "no problem" facing league leaders Liverpool, who could secure their first title in 30 years at Goodison if they win and Manchester City lose to Arsenal on Wednesday.
The 61-year-old Italian also said the club would make late calls on the fitness of defender Yerry Mina and midfielder Fabian Delph.
"Andre Gomes is training with the team so he is not going to have a problem for Sunday," Ancelotti told the club's website.
"The physical condition of the team in general is good and we are looking to recover Yerry Mina and Fabian Delph. Mina has a check on Wednesday, so we will see with him [if he is ready to face Liverpool].
"We have to check on Delph, also. They are both close to coming back to training but remain doubts for the game on Sunday. If they do not play, we hope they will be with us for the match at Norwich, for sure."
Ancelotti, who also confirmed injured winger Theo Walcott will resume full training in three weeks, is looking forward to the "very important" clash on Super Sunday as the Toffees look to improve on their current 12th-placed position.
"We know that on Sunday we are going to play a very important game, so now we can say we have a 100 per cent focus," he added.
"The players improved their aerobic conditions a lot since we started to have open training on the full pitch and in the past 10 days made a lot of progress."
Quizzed on last weekend's idea to train at the stadium, Ancelotti said: "It was organised to give the players the feeling of being at Goodison Park without the crowd. To check the pitch, with the new grass.
"It was a good training session and the intensity of the game was good. We have to improve but we are using this week to do that and prepare the team as best as possible."
Everton have a fair spread when it comes to the average position of their nine remaining opponents (10.7) - but it is perhaps worth noting that they will face very few teams with little to play for.
Southampton may still believe they are a win or two away from being safe, but of the current sides positioned between 15th and 10th, Everton only play Ralph Hasenhuttl's side, and that is at Goodison Park.
Ancelotti's men still have to face each of the bottom three, and as well as the eagerly-awaited Merseyside derby, they still have games outstanding against four teams with Champions League aspirations.
It means there will be plenty at stake when the game returns, with Everton having the chance to peg back their rivals in their fading bid to clinch a Europa League spot.
The Premier League 2019/20 season will provisionally restart on Wednesday June 17 and Sky, the UK's leading football broadcaster, will make 25 games available 'free to air' - including Everton vs Liverpool on the first full weekend back - for everyone in the UK to enjoy.
Sky Sports will show 64 live Premier League games when the season resumes. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches will be available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.
To celebrate the return of the Premier League, Sky Sports will also launch a host of innovative new features and updates to give fans an even more immersive experience and share the moments live with family and friends on virtual platforms.
