Chelsea handed injury update after Everton star forced off ahead of crucial Premier League run

Everton captain James Tarkowski faces an anxious wait over the severity of a hamstring injury as the Toffees defender looks set to be a doubt for their clash against Chelsea.

The 32-year-old limped off during their 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City on Saturday. Tarkowski was replaced by Michael Keane at the beginning of the second-half with David Moyes forced into a change after the loss of a key player in his defence.

The stakes for Enzo Maresca's side will likely increase ahead of the visit from the Merseyside club but the attention for Chelsea is firstly on their clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

They sit four points off the Champions League places and completely out of the European spots after the wins for Pep Guardiola's side and Aston Villa on Saturday.

Tarkowski's injury poses a selection headache for Everton, who are well clear of relegation and sit 13th in the Premier League table, after being ever-present at Goodison Park this season.

Toffees boss Moyes revealed his initial fears and they will now be forced to await further results to ascertain the severity.

"[We just know] that he's got a hamstring injury," said Moyes. "It was quite obvious for everybody to see. So, obviously, we'll assess it during the week, and we'll see exactly how we are."

Keane will likely deputise alongside Jarrad Branthwaite at the heart of the Everton defence and will need to quickly get up to match speed after making just 10 appearances this season, before his introduction yesterday.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at Goodison Park this summer. Everton face an important transfer window and need to reinforce their squad after years of uncertainty and relegation dogfights.

Maresca could be under more pressure should they fail to pick up a win in their London derby on Sunday.

The Italian's side were booed off during Thursday's defeat to Legia Warsaw despite securing progression into the UEFA Conference League semi-final.

They came under further scrutiny last time out in the Premier League after going two goals down against relegation-threatened Ipswich Town before salvaging a draw.

"Maresca, down here - the manager, he's instructing Palmer to get higher up and keep an eye on the goalkeeper but just listen to the noise from the crowd (boos)," said former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.

"That's because they don't want them to play out from the back, you can see the goalkeeper urging everybody up and at one stage, telling the crowd to calm down.

"So he's been influenced by the crowd so he's said, 'push up' and that's when there's the chant from the crowd, 'attack, attack, attack'.

"But what Maresca is talking about is that this is not a team who are used to going direct, the first thing the goalkeeper does is put it on the head of Burgess, the best headerer of the ball in their defence - so that's a mistake.

"Then the positional play of the players, again maybe not used to going long from a goalkick.

"Fernandez, in the wrong position with an Ipswich player behind him, and Chalobah's position is absolutely ridiculous.

"For a player at this level, if I said to you where is he playing? I'd say, 'Chalobah is playing a centre-back in a back four and the right-back is getting treatment, he's off the pitch.

"He's actually at right-back in a back four, there's your left-back, centre-back, centre-back, right-back - that is just ridiculous, the position he finds himself in.

"So they're not set-up to do it, Ipswich win the header and before you know it, because of the positional play, huge space here, in behind Chalobah and finishes with Ben Johnson at the back post putting them 2-0 up.

"Again, it all just smacks from the disconnection from the supporters onto the pitch.

"Look at Fernandez, look at Caicedo, they're screaming at Sanchez, 'don't be influenced by the crowd, don't be influenced by it'.

"But that's right you shouldn't be influenced by it or do as they say, but it tells you there is no connection between Chelsea supporters or the man in the dugout."