With both squads experiencing their fair share of injury problems, who will the Everton boss opt for to face Watford?
Everton bounced back well after their 5-1 drubbing from Arsenal to record a 3-1 victory against Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace.
The Toffees currently sit in 9th place and, dependent on the results of Burnley and Leicester, could leapfrog the two into 7th place if they claim all three points against Watford on Saturday as they look to build some momentum going into the latter stage of the season.
As it stands, Allardyce is without a high number of players due to various injuries with Eliaquim Mangala, James McCarthy, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka all ruled out.
On top of this, Ramiro Funes Mori, Seamus Coleman and Idrissa Gueye are also doubtful for Saturday’s late kick off.
Everton and Watford have faced each other 21 times in their history with the Toffees enjoying the far superior record in terms of results.
The Goodison Park club go into the game with 15 wins and three draws, with Watford having only recorded a victory on three occasions against the Merseyside men. In fact, a win for the Hornets could actually bring them within one point of Everton.
But how exactly will the Toffees line up?
Jordan Pickford is expected to start in goal as usual, and will look to continue his strong form this season. With Baines out, Cuco Martina should line up on the left, whilst Jonjoe Kenny will likely replace the injured Coleman on the right. With Mangala having picked up a knock against Palace, Ashley Williams will most likely partner Michael Keane at the heart of the defence.
Having dropped further back to accommodate others in the starting XI, captain Wayne Rooney should start in central midfield and will probably be partnered with former Manchester United teammate Morgan Schneiderlin in place of the injured Gueye.
The three behind the striker that performed so well against Palace is unlikely to change, with Theo Walcott, Tom Davies and Gylfi Sigurdsson once again lining up in attacking midfield.
Allardyce will have a decision to make up top, as pricey January arrival Cenk Tosun continues his search for a first Everton goal. Oumar Niasse has enjoyed decent scoring form this term with eight goals so far, including a strike against Palace in their last outing.
It is most likely that Niasse will retain his starting place, with a view to bring Tosun on in the later stages to help see out the game.
Here is the predicted 4-2-3-1 lineup:
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