Five Everton players are still sidelined, and a 20-year-old i...

Five Everton players are still sidelined, and a 20-year-old is brought up to training ahead of Crystal Palace.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s return to team training could provide Everton with a significant boost ahead of their upcoming match against Crystal Palace.

Doucoure, Everton’s leading scorer with six goals, has been sidelined for

10 of the last 11 fixtures due to two hamstring injuries.

During his absence, Everton managed just one victory, coincidentally against

Crystal Palace in an FA Cup third-round replay.

Consequently, the team has slipped into the Premier League relegation zone

pending the outcome of their appeal hearing following a 10-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules.

However, Doucoure’s presence in training suggests he may be in contention for

a return to the matchday squad against Palace.

Whether he will immediately start remains uncertain, considering his recent injury history.

Despite playing a full 90 minutes in a January fixture against Aston Villa after a month-long absence,

Doucoure sustained another hamstring issue in that game, initially attributed to fatigue.

Given Everton’s precarious position in the table, the club will undoubtedly exercise

caution with Doucoure to avoid any further setbacks.

Additionally, defender Ben Godfrey, who has played in Everton’s last three games

after a slow start to the season, participated in training.

However, he was substituted early in a recent match against Tottenham due to

cramp and was also replaced in the defeat to Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Arnaut Danjuma, Andre Gomes, and Dele remain sidelined with respective ankle, calf, and groin injuries.

In training, 20-year-old Katia Kouyate had an opportunity to impress manager Sean Dyche.

Kouyate, who was part of Everton’s pre-season training squad and scored in a friendly against Stade Nyonnais,

has made 10 appearances for the under-21s this season, finding the net once.