This should be very interesting.
With our
Champions League campaign still very much alive, the situation is almost akin to last season where we had Fulham in a what for us was a mere chance to rest players. It's not quite that this time, with fourth spot still yet to be secured, but i'd be surprised if we fielded a full strength side and Fulham have acknowledged this as a real possibility.
The team i'd use:
------------------------------------ Reina
-------- Finnan
------- Carragher
-------- Skrtel
------- Arbeloa
----------------------------------- Plessis
------ Benayoun
--------------------------------------------- Riise
--------------------------------.-- Lucas
---------------------------------------------- Voronin
--------------------------- Crouch
Subs: Itandje, Insua, Gerrard, Babel, Nemeth
However, were
Everton to beat
Chelsea, i'd perhaps opt for something more like this:
------------------------------------ Reina
-------- Arbeloa
------- Carragher
-------- Skrtel
-------- Aurelio
-------------------------------- Mascherano
------ Benayoun
---------------------------------------------- Riise
-------------------------------.-- Gerrard
------------------------------------------------ Babel
--------------------------- Crouch
Subs: Itandje, Finnan, Alonso, Kuyt, Torres
We'll assume the latter scenario doesn't happen,
for now.
I think Rafa's philosophy will be different to last year where the likes of Emiliano Insua and Gabriel Paletta both started in defence - we still need points to clarify
Champions League football next year, so i presume, assuming
Everton do not win, that he will try to rest first-team players where possible and fill their gaps with squad players. A la the
Arsenal league match.
Chelsea will have an extended rest regardless, because they play on Thursday, so it would be a disadvantage to have to play the likes of Gerrard, Torres and Mascherano.
In defence Hyypia will be given priority with his age, taking longer to recover from games. Aside from he, with Agger remaining sidelined and Hobbs out on loan, we haven't really anyone to give Carragher a rest (Skrtel doesn't need one at all) without plunging into the reserves and whipping out someone like San Jose. Aurelio will be rested because he can be, with both Arbeloa and Finnan available to cover the full-back positions. I was keen on Insua playing here but with things still mathematically open i can't see him being used.
Mascherano doesn't really need a rest after his three game suspension but he's absolutely key and as such i'd expect him to be excluded from the game. Plessis is the only real like-for-like player in the frame and he did very well versus
Arsenal so i'd not really hesitate in giving him another opportunity. With Pennant injured and Kewell shipped off to Australia the wing positions are relatively easy and one position which we shouldn't suffer too greatly from changing.
I was hoping Hungarian striker Krisztian Nemeth would get a chance here too, along with Insua, but he won't start - not while there's capable (well...) squad players in Voronin and Crouch (assuming the big man has recovered from injury). Nemeth was though excluded from the reserves game this week and it's led many to speculate around whether he'll be drafted in here - he could be in line for a deserved position on the bench.
Other than Insua, Nemeth and of course a 'keeper i'd keep Gerrard and Babel on the substitutes bench just in case. We still want to win this game to all but cement
Champions League football next season.
If we do put a makeshift side out i could anticipate it being a struggle. Perhaps a 0-0 draw. One thing's for sure, it will be a much more interesting match should
Everton lose, as it'll tempt Benitez into using less able players and hence should even up the playing fields somewhat.
