Everton U23s will look to bounce back after last weeks loss to Tottenham as they face Chelsea on Friday.
The Toffees are currently in volatile form, having lost two, drawn two and won one of their last five.
A win for David Unsworth’s team will see them overtake Derby and move up to fifth.
However if Manchester United lose to Brighton, they could move up as high as fourth.
A loss will see the Toffees slip to seventh, and Chelsea move up to fifth.
The young Toffees will hope to do the double over Chelsea this season, after a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture in November.
They will rely on the form of Welsh Midfielder Nathan Broadhead who will want to extend his purple patch after a hattrick against Manchester United two weeks ago and a goal against spurs last week.
However, Everton will have their work cut out due to Chelsea’s impeccable home form.
The Blues have the best record in Division One, the top tier of the U23 league, with four wins in four and only three goals conceded.
Chelsea have threats of their own with young attacking midfielder Myles Peart-Harris who has six goals in nine games this season.
Everton, on the other hand, have the second worst away record this season, picking up only one point against Division One teams on their travels.
Everton currently sit 12 points adrift of league leaders Manchester City, so a win tonight is essential to mount any credible defence of their title.
Kick-off at Cobham Training Centre is at 19:00.
For more Everton stories, click here.
To read more about Everton’s U23 Squad, click here.
