Sam Allardyce offers major warning to travelling Everton fans about his planned team selection

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Everton take on Apollon Limassol on Thursday night.

Everton boss Sam Allardyce has told The Telegraph that he will be fielding a ‘weakened’ side against Apollon Limassol on Thursday night, warning fans who intend to attend the game.

The Toffees appointed Allardyce as their new manager last week, over a month since sacking Ronald Koeman, and he got off to a superb start on Saturday afternoon.

Allardyce’s first game in charge ended with a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town, as Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck in the second half to seal the victory.

Allardyce doesn’t have much time to celebrate that win though, as he faces a big week, with a Merseyside derby against city rivals Liverpool coming up on Sunday afternoon.

Before that though, Allardyce must take his team to Cyprus for their final group game of their Europa League campaign, with a game against Apollon Limassol coming up on Thursday night.

Everton are already out of the competition after picking up just one point from five games, but having only managed to draw 2-2 with Apollon at Goodison Park back in September, the Toffees will be hoping to end with a win.

However, Allardyce has told The Telegraph that he plans to rotate his squad ahead of Sunday’s Liverpool clash, warning travelling fans that they would be spending money to see a half-strength – at best – Everton side.

“It is a dead rubber,” said Allardyce. “I would suggest to the fans that if you are going to spend some money to go and watch them be mindful that I am going to send a team that is not going to be risking too many players who are going to be involved for Liverpool. It would be foolish of me to consider getting a player injured in that game and not have him available. I have too many injuries already,” he added.

That means that the likes of Joel Robles, Morgan Feeney, Beni Baningime, Ademola Lookman, Muhamed Besic and Nikola Vlasic may be hoping for playing time as Allardyce makes his intentions clear.