How will Everton line up for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool?

Everton's recent record at Anfield makes for grim reading for the club's supporters. The Toffees have not beaten Liverpool on their own patch this millennium, and have not threatened to change that unwanted statistic for a number of years.

You can forgive the Evertonians who will make the short trip across L4 on Sunday [10 December] for entering Anfield without any confidence or even a shred of hope that they will leave with a positive result, especially after having seen the Reds take Spartak Moscow apart in scintillating fashion on Wednesday [6 December]. But new manager Sam Allardyce will not share the psychological wounds of his side's supporters - the 63-year-old was the last away boss to mastermind a win at Anfield when his Crystal Palace side secured a 2-1 victory over Jurgen Klopp's side in April.

Liverpool will care little for Allardyce's scalp eight months ago. With Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, Klopp has one of Europe's most dangerous attacks at his disposal, and will no doubt unleash the fearsome quartet against Everton this weekend.

But Allardyce will likely draw on his last encounter with Liverpool and took the decision to keep the bulk of his first-team squad in Finch Farm while a smattering of fringe players and youngsters were sent to Cyprus for a Europa League dead rubber with Apollon Limassol in order to focus solely on the 229th edition of the Merseyside derby, which the Toffees are unsurprisingly rank outsiders for.

Not one member of the starting line-up that secured much-needed wins over West Ham United and Huddersfield Town made the trip to Cyprus, and Allardyce is not expected to make wholesale changes to his 11 ahead of Anfield.

Jordan Pickford will keep his place between the sticks after performing admirably in the face of extreme adversity during this season, while Jonjoe Kenny is a sure-fire bet to start at right-back after growing into the role in recent weeks.

Mason Holgate and the much-maligned Ashley Williams kept two clean sheets against West Ham and Huddersfield, but Michael Keane could be handed a start by Allardyce after recovering from a knock sustained in the treacherous defeat against Southampton last month. The former Burnley star is likely to replace Holgate, who is still nursing a slight ankle problem and has shown signs of positional indiscipline, though his speed would prove rather useful against the likes of Mane and Salah.

But despite the 20-year-old's fleet of foot, Allardyce may plump for a defensive partnership of Keane and Williams, who has shown signs of life in recent weeks. Everton will be pinned back for much of the contest at Anfield, and Williams seems to flourish when he is tasked with leading a defence against an attacking onslaught, while Keane is not stranger to a defensive system having been part of a resolute regiment under Sean Dyche at Turf Moor. Cuco Martina, another maligned figure of the Everton squad, looks likely to continue at left-back with Leighton Baines struggling with a calf problem, while captain Phil Jagielka is also doubtful through injury.

In midfield, Idrissa Gueye will be tasked with covering the defence from the attacking onslaught they are primed to face. Like many in blue, Gueye failed to show his best form during the start of the season and was certainly hampered by the performances of those around him, but the Senegal international seems to be approaching something close to his combative best and will hope to stifle his compatriot Mane, who got the better of him when the two sides last met.

Ahead of Gueye, Tom Davies and Wayne Rooney will hope to provide a solid but productive central midfield pairing. The two Scousers are at opposite ends of their respective careers but their styles of play are quite similar, with both capable of playing elegant, intricate football as well as digging in and showing resolve. Rooney's positional discipline will be tested to the limit against Liverpool, whose gegenpressing style of play could rattle the veteran.

The industrious but effective pair of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Aaron Lennon are likely to be tasked with creating opportunities for lone striker and willing runner Dominic Calvert-Lewin but will also need to carry out their defensive duties to the letter or risk leaving Martina and Kenny exposed.

Sigurdsson and Lennon have both demonstrated their willingness to help the Everton defence during a difficult period for the club, but they can also combine tracking back with incisive attacking play as evidenced by the first goal against Huddersfield.

As for Calvert-Lewin, the Under-20 World Cup winner will have the thankless task of ploughing a lone furrow against a Liverpool defence that has actually proven to be rather miserly at Anfield this season. The 20-year-old may not strike fear into the hearts Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan, but after admirably leading the line during Everton's 1-1 draw against Manchester City back in August, his pace, aerial ability and relentless work ethic could force a few errors and even guide Everton to the most unlikeliest of victories.