Everton defender Mason Holgate could be given a start in the Carabao Cup clash tonight, and the youngster must grab this opportunity with both hands.

The 22-year-old spent the last season away from Everton on loan at West Bromwich Albion where he duly impressed for the Baggies.

Everton boss Marco Silva is pinning his hopes on the youngster to come good this season, and prove to him that he is good enough at this level.

Silva has insisted that Holgate can do a lot better in training. With Everton failing to sign a centre-back this summer, the door has opened for Holgate to cement his position as the club’s third-choice centre-back.

The Everton boss, however, feels that Holgate has the potential to improve further, and that he can push himself harder to improve in training.

“Mason is a player I am always pushing and a player everytime, I think, can do more than he is doing,” Silva said, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

“Not because he doesn’t want to but it is up to me to push him more and more and more. About focus, about desire to win and improve every single day, to get better every single day because if he does that then he will be a better player, I have no doubts about that.”

Yerry Mina and Michael Keane are the first two centre-backs for Everton, but Holgate could get a chance to start in the Carabao Cup tonight.

The Everton defence looked shaky in their last game as they lost 2-0 against Aston Villa, and there could be an opportunity for Holgate to stake a claim in the first team squad.

The Toffees will face Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup and Holgate surely is expected to start for the first time this season.