Everton boss Frank Lampard has recalled 21-year-old striker Ellis Simms from a loan spell with Sunderland as the Toffees prepare to host Brighton and Hove Albion tomorrow (Tuesday 3 January).
He said: “We’ll get him back in and it’s another attacking option. It’s good that he comes off a pretty positive loan at Sunderland. He has to come in and add and give competition and we’ll see.”
Lampard wants his side to show the spirit that led them to take a point from champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on New Year’s Eve.
The 1-1 draw followed a 2-1 defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day – Everton’s first match since the World Cup break.
And they held Man City having lost their three previous league matches, dropping closer to the relegation zone.
The Blues are currently 16th, with 15 points from 17 games – and just one point above Nottingham Forest in 18th.
Asked what the message was going into the Brighton match, Lampard said: “Same approach (as against City) – mentality, work ethic, all those things, because I think they have to be standard in football.
“They will just look different – and it will look different against Brighton. But my message is also it’s a very good team that are coming to Goodison, a very good possession team who will play, who will stop the game, stay on the ball and move it from back to front.
“So we have to have a real work ethic and a discipline about our game so we’ll look at that tactically with the players.
“But it’s about bringing a good feel to us now. I think the end of the Wolves game wasn’t a good feel in the stadium.”
He said that he wanted the sort of performance that the fans saw in the Man City match, adding: “Can we get together and deliver that feeling in the stadium on Tuesday night? Because it will be a really tough match.”
Everton will be without midfielder Amadou Onana who is suspended after picking up a fifth booking of the season in the City game.
Anthony Gordon and Yerry Mina will be assessed after missing Saturday’s match through illness while Michael Keane was due to have a scan having withdrawn from the match-day squad with a suspected knee problem.
