Ronald Koeman will decided on whether James McCarthy will feature for Everton this weekend, after claiming the midfielder is ‘over-loaded’.
McCarthy started successive matches for the Republic of Ireland in the recent international break but has not featured for the Blues since late August.
But after returning from a spell on the sidelines following surgery on a groin problem, Koeman is wary of risking the 25-year-old against Manchester City.
He said: “[With] James McCarthy is a little bit more difficult because he was, of course after 5-6 weeks out of football after his surgery.
“I know he played the full game after three group sessions with Ireland and he played the second game.
“He’s massively over-loaded and we have to make the decision tomorrow whether he is fit to be part of the team.”