Blue Watch: Protecting Steven Pienaar is the chief concern for Everton FC
NORMALLY around this time of year we implore David Moyes to field his strongest side in the Carling Cup, what with it representing a great chance to win some silverware and all the rest of it.
However, with the guaranteed games in the Europa League this year, and crucial points to be won in the Premier League at the weekend, all but the most traditional 'play your strongest side at all times' advocates will cut the Everton manager some slack if he tries to rest a few players for the trip to the KC Stadium tonight for a tie that is as underwhelming as it's possible to get at this stage of the competition - at least since Middlesborough were relegated anyway.
Moyes will hope to have Diniyar Bilyaletdinov fit, so the Russian can get more experience of the English game under his belt and also to give Steven Pienaar a deserved break.
The little South African was again the best player at the weekend, but his all-action style and diminutive frame mean that he takes some scandalous knocks.
It seems that whenever he's not skinning full-backs he's limping gingerly back into position.
Lucas Neill might feature too - he's another who will need games given that he's not played a club game since the end of last season.
We have to be honest and admit that the Australian has never been one of the most likeable figures in the game, and that's saying something when you see the antics out of players every weekend now.
However, he needs to be playing competitive football in a World Cup year and Everton need more cover at the back now Phil Neville's injured, and so this deal suits everyone.
The lack of strong characters in the Blues' side has been noted before now, and Neill is competitive if nothing else. It won't be surprising at all if he ends up having a good season at Goodison.
Indeed, the prospects for the whole team seem to have brightened up considerably in the past week, thanks to two extremely comfortable victories.
AEK Athens were as bad a team as we've played for years, but Blackburn were expected to provide a sterner test.
Everton simply outclassed them in every department and so, despite all the warnings about how the run can't go on indefinitely, should go to Fratton Park on Saturday firmly expecting to extend Portsmouth's sequence of six games without a point.
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