Hodgson rests eight players for clash with Everton

With the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals his top priority this week, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson unsurprisingly made nine changes for today’s Barclays Premier League clash at Everton.

From the goalless first leg in Hamburg on Thursday, eight players were rested - Paul Konchesky, Brede Hangeland, Aaron Hughes, Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu, Damien Duff, Zoltan Gera and Simon Davies – with Bobby Zamora the only injured absentee after aggravating an Achilles problem in Germany.

In came John Pantsil for his first appearance for four months after recovering from a knee injury, on-loan trio Nicky Shorey, Stefano Okaka and Jonathan Greening, as well as Erik Nevland, Bjorn Helge Riise, Clint Dempsey, Chris Smalling and Kagisho Dikgacoi.

In stark contrast Everton showed just one change from last week’s 3-2 win over Blackburn, with Aiyegbeni Yakubu replacing Louis Saha in attack.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Bilyaletdinov, Neville, Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu.

Subs: Turner, Yobo, Saha, Senderos, Anichebe, Baxter, Wallace.

Fulham: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Smalling, Baird, Shorey, Dempsey, Dikgacoi, Greening, Riise, Okaka, Nevland.

Subs: Zuberbuhler, Kelly, Teymourian, Stoor, Elm, Briggs, Buchtmann.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)