Toffees seeking Lukaku inspiration

Striker Romelu Lukaku returns from a month-long lay-off needing to live up to manager Roberto Martinez’s assessment of him being “a complete number nine” if Everton’s season is not to fade in the final third.

The Belgian international, on loan from Chelsea, has missed four matches with an ankle injury but his return to fitness could not have been better timed after back-to-back league defeats have left the Toffees 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool.

Everton went into the Merseyside derby at Anfield, in which Lukaku sustained his injury, on January 28 just a point behind their near-neighbours but have dramatically fallen off the pace after losing that match — not helped by the postponement of a home game against Crystal Palace.