With back to back victories against Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town, Everton are closing the gap with Burnley in the top half of the table but the Toffees have not much to play for this league campaign as they prepare themselves to welcome a struggling Southampton side to Goodison Park this weekend.
The Saints, who beat Bournemouth in the last game, are now just a point off safety and have three games left in the campaign. It was their first win in the last six games but Mark Hughes will be confident that his side can take something from this game.
Everton will also want to end the season on a high and will believe that they can take all three points from this tie. Here is the predicted lineup Sam Allardyce might field for this clash:
Team News
In early team news, Everton will miss the services of Gylfi Sigurdsson, James McCarthy, Eliaquim Mangala, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Mason Holgate, all of who are all but ruled out for the rest of the season. They remain the only absentees ahead of this penultimate league game for Everton.
Expected lineup (4-2-3-1)
Defence
Jordan Pickford is one of the first names on the team sheet for Allardyce this season and the English international will keep his place under the bar this weekend. The manager has stuck with Phil Jagielka and Michael Keane as his first choice centre-back partnership and will use the same against The Saints in this game.
The experience of Seamus Coleman at right-back and Leighton Baines at left-back has been visible in the last few games and the duo will retain their place for this clash.
Midfield
Idrissa Gueye got himself a goal in the victory over the Terriers last weekend. He will hope to put in a similar performance this week against Southampton. He will be partnered with Morgan Schneiderlin, who will face one of his former teams.
Attack
Wayne Rooney has been effective in the no. 10 role adding numbers to the midfield when needed. He will start there with Theo Walcott, who has been in decent form, playing on the right flank.
Yannick Bolasie was an unused substitute in the previous game and might get back to the starting XI on the left flank in attack this weekend. Cenk Tosun, who opened the scoring against Huddersfield Town, will continue to lead the line for The Toffees.
Here is how they might line up:
