Everton will be without Morgan Schneiderlin against Newcastle United on Saturday, but Carlo Ancelotti says he “hopes” the midfielder will return to train over the weekend, however. Schneiderlin missed Everton’s victory over Burnley on Boxing Day and isn’t expected to be fit to face the Magpies on December 28.
Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference: “Morgan Schneiderlin is out for these games, I hope he can be back training with us on the 28th. All the other players… are in good condition, fit and able to play.” The 30-year-old has been out of action with a calf problem since early-December.
Schneiderlin’s injury caused him to miss Everton’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United (December 15), 0-0 with Arsenal (December 21) and 1-0 win over Burnley. Before Fabian Delph returned to fitness, Tom Davies, Mason Holgate and Gylfi Sigurdsson partnered one another in a makeshift midfield.
Schneiderlin has endured a stop-start season with Everton. He’s featured just 11 times in the Premier League while amassing only 742 minutes of football. And with the French international being on the winning side only twice (18%) in the league, it’s unlikely he’ll be missed.
Sigurdsson partnered Delph against Burnley and impressed at Goodison Park, so it’s hard to see the pair not starting together against Newcastle.