Carlo Ancelotti says only a perfect performance will enable Everton to begin a critical four days in their Premier League season with victory over Leicester City at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Everton are aiming to complete a double over Brendan Rodgers’ team after winning at the King Power Stadium last month.
That success, insists Ancelotti, was the product of Everton's most assured display this term.
A repeat would move the Italian manager's side into the top four ahead of Newcastle United’s visit on Saturday.
Ancelotti admits he owns a “great, great desire” to lead Everton into the Champions League.
And he expects to have a clearer picture over his team’s immediate prospects of qualifying for the pre-eminent European competition by Saturday evening.
“The games against Leicester and Newcastle will be important for us to understand where we want to be and would like to be in the future,” said Ancelotti.
“We want to fight for the top four, top six.
“The fact we are going to play at home in our next two games [means that] after Saturday we know where we are going to be in the future.
“I hope it will be a nice future.
“To take Everton to the Champions League is a fantastic motivation for me.
“It is a great, great desire.
“This is the target we have for the future.
“I don’t know how long it will take but I hope soon we can play games in the Champions League.”
Everton have the opportunity to close within three points of third-placed Leicester with two games in hand.
They enter the game fortified by memories of the 2-0 success in the East Midlands six weeks ago but under no illusions about the scale of their task.
Manager Rodgers’ team boast the division’s second-best away record – their seven wins include victories at Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – and haven’t lost in six Premier League games since being undone by Everton.
Ancelotti can reflect on a similarly bountiful period after collecting 15 points from six matches.
He is boosted for the midweek fixture by the availability and robust conditions of James Rodriguez, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin after the trio started Sunday’s FA Cup victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
“When they were not available, we adapted really well and now they are back we expect a little bit more in front,” said Ancelotti.
“It will be important to have all of them, they did really well to combine together [whenever they’ve been united in attack].
“We need them defensively, also, because the balance is really important.
“James was really good with the ball [against Sheffield Wednesday], that is what we ask from him, to be good and efficient with the ball.
“He made a lot of passes and delivered good set-pieces.
“Richarlison and Dominic can take advantage of the fact he is back.
“Now we have a different kind of game, more difficult, it is an important test for us.
“We have a good memory of the last time we played Leicester, I think it was our best game this season and for this reason we have confidence.
“You cannot let them have the possibility to put their quality on the pitch.
“They have a lot of qualities and our performance to beat them has to be 100 per cent.”
Ancelotti, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, admitted a midfield role for Mason Holgate is “an option”.
He confirmed Tom Davies “will play” after doing “really well” starting the past four Premier League matches.
Lucas Digne and Alex Iwobi are set to return to the squad after sitting out at the weekend, when Thierry Small became Everton’s youngest player and was joined on the field by fellow debutant 17-year-old Tyler Onyango.
“The First Team has a really close relationship with the Academy and we take care of our Academy, we have a fantastic manager [David Unsworth] looking after this,” added Ancelotti.
“When we have the possibility, we try to bring young players into our squad and into training.
“It was good for Tyler and Thierry and, soon, there can be opportunities for others.”
