Everton manager Ronald Koeman has admitted that the international break could be coming at a good time for his side due to their poor recent form.

The Toffees had ambitions of challenging for the top six this season following a big-spending summer, but they have lost four of their last five Premier League matches to leave themselves 16th in the table.

Koeman will be without eight of his first-team players during the two-week break, but rather than seeing that as a negative, the underfire Dutchman believes that it could help to freshen his squad up.

"It is all about the situation the team is in. Maybe, sometimes, it is good for everyone to freshen up," Koeman told Evertontv.

"Sometimes if you have a defeat and don't have the players to train it is more frustrating. It is all about the result at the weekend.

"Of course, you like to work with the players every day to improve the team, but maybe in this situation it is good to have an international break. I don't know. It is all about the game in two weeks now and that is what we need to prepare for."

Everton take on newly-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion in their next match after the international break.