Everton V Chelsea at Goodison Park - Match Preview




Eto'o set for Chelsea debut

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes Samuel Eto'o can supply the old head which can give his side the perfect blend of youth and experience in their quest for the Premier League title.


The 32-year-old Cameroon international, signed from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala in the summer transfer window, is likely to start on the bench when Chelsea take on Everton at Goodison Park in the late afternoon game on Saturday.


Mourinho said: "He will be selected and when you are selected and you are a striker you play, you start or finish the game but normally my attacking players when seleected play because it is the area where I make more changes during the match. So normally he will play his first minutes for Chelsea in the Premier League.


"He is a player adapted to the style of play we want in our team which is a bit contradictory to the general style and philosophy in the Premier League.


"We are not any more a physical, direct team. We want to use the qualities of our attaking players in a different way.


"His movement is very intelligent. He knows exactly the kind of movement he has to do to give continuity to the attacking game. He has a natural appetite for goals and he will score a few goals for us and he will give us experience.


"Everybody is very young, for example against Bayern Munich (in the Super Cup) Andre Schurrle, Oscar and Eden Hazard all were all under 22. So Samuel is a player to add experience to a young part of the pitch."


Mourinho also insisted Spanish midfielder Juan Mata, who has been left on the bench recently, has a future at Chelsea.


He said: "He is in the same plans as all the others. He's a player I like very much. A player I trust a lot and who will fight for his position like everyone else, sometimes starts, sometimes on the bench, sometimes maybe he has not to be selected like everyone else."


Everton boss Roberto Martinez has heralded his side's return to action this week as a "fresh start" after finally seeing the transfer window close.


Everton's start to the season was overshadowed by Manchester United's high-profile pursuit of two of their star players in Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines.


Martinez felt the transfer window was an unsettling and unnecessary distraction at the start of the campaign and has been at the forefront of calls for the deadline to be brought forward in future.


Everton eventually lost Fellaini to United but did keep Baines and also managed to bring in Gareth Barry, James McCarthy and Romelu Lukaku on deadline day.


Since then the majority of the squad have been away on international duty and, now reconvened ahead of Chelsea's visit this weekend, Martinez feels the season is finally starting in earnest.


"We feel it is a fresh start for us," said the Spaniard, whose side have drawn their opening three Barclays Premier League games.


"The moment the window closed it felt a completely different environment around the football club.


"There is a real focus, it seems somehow the season starts now.


"Looking at where we are, I think we have done many good things in the previous three games but there is no hiding from the fact we are in need of points.


"Whenever you play a home game you take that as a real opportunity.


"Playing against Chelsea, we know they are a terrific team and they have got a real mature way of playing, with good experience, but we are playing at home and we want to accept that responsibility that we need to get points and get our season started."


Martinez will consider handing debuts to midfielders McCarthy, the B#13million signing from his old club Wigan, and Barry, who has joined on a season-long loan from Manchester City.


Striker Lukaku, who is on loan from Chelsea, is not permitted to play against his parent club.


Midfielder Darron Gibson (knee) and defender Antolin Alcaraz (hernia) are not yet ready to return but both are back in training and close to fitness.


Source: PA

Source: PA