Ancelotti wary of the Owls’ ‘strong threat’
Everton will bid to reach the fifth round for the first time in five years at Goodison Park this afternoon.
They needed extra-time to scrape past Rotherham in the third round and manager Carlo Ancelotti expects another tough test.
“We hope to have less difficulty in this game, but we have to know it will be difficult because in the FA Cup there will always be surprises,” he said.
“We don’t want to be the negative surprise. We have to approach the game well because we didn’t do against Rotherham.
“Wednesday are coming with all the strength they have. They are a strong team, physical team and they want to compete. We have to be ready for this.”
Ancelotti, meanwhile, has ruled his side out of this season’s Premier League title race.
They sit sixth in the table, but have games in hand on all of the top three.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has said Everton cannot be discounted with Ancelotti at their helm, but the Italian does not agree.
“Honestly, we don’t have in our mind a title race,” he said. “We have in our mind, and I said at the start of the season, to fight for the European positions.
“Now we are in a good position and we want to stay there. It depends on us to stay in a good position.
“I think to talk about a title race in this moment is too much for us.”
Ahead of Chelsea’s encounter with Luton Town today, Frank Lampard has tipped Fikayo Tomori to become a “top player” after the Blues defender completed his loan switch to AC Milan.
Many Chelsea fans have expressed frustrations with Tomori’s loan, but Lampard insisted the academy graduate can still flourish in west London in the long-run.
Asked to explain to those vexed fans why Tomori has left temporarily, Lampard said: “Because I have five centre-backs and I can’t do this job and expect to please every fan; that’s football.
“What players you should pick or not, whether you are searching for consistency or going on an unbeaten run there are questions.
“Fikayo is a developing player, a very good player. He is going to be a top player.”