Everton wait on Stubbs, Cahill

Everton are hoping captain Alan Stubbs and top scorer Tim Cahill will be fit for their crucial home match against Newcastle as they continue their battle for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Stubbs has been fighting to recover from a shoulder injury and is now back in training, while Cahill has been under intensive treatment all week with a back problem. A late decision will be made on both players’ fitness.

Everton need four points from their last three matches to claim fourth spot, and could have three of them in the bag before fifth-placed Liverpool play at Arsenal on Sunday, if they can bring the curtain down on a tremendous Goodison Park season by beating Newcastle in their final home game of the campaign.

Provisional squad: Martyn, Hibbert, Weir, Yobo, Stubbs, Watson, Pistone, Arteta, McFadden, Carsley, Cahill, Osman, Kilbane, Ferguson, Bent, Beattie, Plessis, Wright.