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Fabian Delph is expected to be fit for the next week's derby to bolster an Everton midfield decimated by injury and illness this season.

The 30-year-old missed Sunday's drubbing at Chelsea because he was unwell but is set to be passed fit to face Liverpool at Goodison on Monday.

Everton's midfield has been ravaged this term with the 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge exposing the lack of Carlo Ancelotti's options and reinforcing why the Italian wants to sign a player with “energy” for that position, this summer.

In total, the Blues' midfielders have missed a combined 52 Premier League games this season through injury or illness.

The long-term thigh problem of Jean-Philippe Gbamin means he has been sidelined for 27 league games while Andre Gomes, first with a rib problem and then because of his horror ankle injury, has lost 15 matches in the top flight.

Delph should return to tackle the Reds at the start of next week but has been forced to miss 12 league games this term while Morgan Schneiderlin has been sidelined for seven and is set to miss most – if not all – of what is left of the campaign after undergoing knee surgery.

Gylfi Sigurdsson has missed three matches in the league but Tom Davies, although playing through the pain barrier earlier this season, has been fit for every game.

The irony that Everton's defence, a central defender light after the failed bid to land Kurt Zouma, has escaped serious injury this season won't be lost on anyone.

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Seamus Coleman, who missed the game with Chelsea, has been out for four league games in total, while Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne have missed two games each and Michael Keane and Djibril Sidibe, one.

Mason Holgate and Leighton Baines have been available for each league game.

The Blues have lost more games through injury and illness, in attack.

Richarlison missed two games in December because of a knee injury, Alex Iwobi's hamstring problem saw him miss the opening six league games of the Ancelotti era while Theo Walcott has been absent five times.

Bernard, who picked up a knee problem on Sunday, has also lost five games while Anthony Gordon has not been available for selection just once because of injury.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Moise Kean have been fit for each of the Blues' 29 league games.

In total, Everton have so far lost a combined 81 matches to injury and illness this season - a campaign in which the club's medical staff have been far busier than anyone could have imagined.