Dan Ashworth: I'm a full time carer. In all honesty if I had the opportunity to have 2 weeks off I wouldn't know where to start.

Sam: School's not on so i sleep.

Image source, Instagram

Many of the players who are not in action until next weekend were given the chance to take some time off this week, with some choosing to get some winter sun and others putting in the hard yards at warm-weather training camps...

Not sure you'd find me doing a warm-weather live text training camp during my annual leave, mind.

Image source, BBC Sport

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson even made it back to Brazil to watch his brother Muriel play for Fluminense...

Image source, Twitter

Essentially, the winter break - or 'mid-season player break' to use its official name - gives clubs and players a fortnight off (except those that had to play FA Cup replays during the week, but that's an argument for a different day...)

It means Everton, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Watford, who play today, will not have a game next weekend. Other clubs who had this weekend off are back in action next week.

Image source, BBC Sport

First weekend:

Saturday, 8 February: Everton v Crystal Palace 12:30 GMT, Brighton v Watford 17:30

Sunday, 9 February: Sheffield United v Bournemouth 14:00, Manchester City v West Ham 16:30

Second weekend:

Friday, 14 February: Wolves v Leicester 20:00

Saturday, 15 February: Southampton v Burnley 12:30, Norwich v Liverpool 17:30

Sunday, 16 February: Aston Villa v Tottenham 14:00, Arsenal v Newcastle 16:30

Monday, 17 February: Chelsea v Manchester United 20:00

Oscar: Sat in front of the TV in my underpants playing @FootballManager with the curtains closed.

CK: Could a winter break be when the Cheltenham Festival is on? Asking for a friend

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson: "We've not won in six matches but one or two of those games were actually good results. When the wins don't come and you start dropping down the table, every game becomes that bit more important.

"We've not scored enough goals but we’ve got players in the team who’ve got goals in them. We need to keep working, getting people in the box, making runs and hopefully that'll turn for us."

On selecting goalkeeper Vicente Guaita after his high-profile error against Sheffield United: "You don’t drop first-choice goalkeepers because they’ve made one mistake - it can happen to anyone. We're very happy with him and very happy he’s playing today."

Everton

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti on his four changes for today's game: "We need more of everything. More quality, more intensity, more pressure, more concentration. It's not easy to pick the line-up but I want everyone to be involved and the players accept my decisions.

"Crystal Palace are a good team with lots of different qualities but we want to focus on our game today.

"We hope to take the initiative and play a fantastic match."

Steve Bower
Match of the Day commentator

The contrast in Everton's mood is there for all in blue to see, and smiles are back on faces.

Marco Silva lost eight of his last 11 games in charge; only one defeat in 10 has followed - only Liverpool have accumulated more points than Everton during that period.

From being in the relegation zone two months ago, talk has now turned to Europe! There's still a lot of room for improvement though and Carlo Ancelotti will be learning more about his squad as the weeks go by.

There's not the same spring in Crystal Palace's step. Six games without a win and a lack of January new faces has rather dampened the pre-festive encouragement.

The Premier League's lowest scorers must now try to execute a plan to prevent Everton moving within a point of fifth place.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti makes four changes to the team which beat Watford last weekend.

The suspended Fabian Delph is replaced by Morgan Schneiderlin in midfield, while Bernard is in for Alex Iwobi. Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman come in for Mason Holgate and Djibril Sidibe in defence.

Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne, Walcott, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.

Image source, .

Crystal Palace are unchanged from the side that lost 1-0 against Sheffield United.

Twenty-year-old defender Tyrick Mitchell, who plays for the Eagles' development team, is on the bench and will make his senior debut if he comes on.

Crystal Palace XI: Guita, Ward, Van Aanholt, Tomkins, Cahill, Milivojevic, McArthur, McCarthy, Ayew, Zaha, Benteke.

Image source, .

It's the winter break, which means footballers heading for sunnier climes and enjoyin warm-weather training camps, but we want to know what you'd do if you were given a fortnight off from work...

Tell us what it is you do for a job/school/college/stay-at-home Fifa champion etc, and how you'd spend the time off...

Hit us up on #bbcfootball...

Everton make four changes after that comeback at Watford last time out, with Seamus Coleman returning to skipper the side.

Michael Keane, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bernard are also in.

Roy Hodgson names an unchanged Crystal Palace side.

Image source, Getty Images

Everton midfielder Fabian Delph must serve a one-match ban as a consequence of his sending off against Watford last weekend.

Meanwhile, midfielder Andre Gomes could return later this month after recovering swiftly from a serious ankle injury.

Crystal Palace loanee Cenk Tosun, who missed the last game because of a hamstring problem, is ineligible to face his parent club.

Martin Kelly misses out because of a calf injury.

First up today, we're at Goodison Park.

Welcome, to the winter break...

Just the two Premier League games for you today as the first wave of top-flight players head off for some rest, relaxation and selfies with Salt Bae.

It's suitably chilly outside BBC Sport's Salford HQ, all the more excuse to stay in and join us as we guide you through Everton v Crystal Palace and Brighton v Watford.