Of the various reasons offered in explanation of Everton's stuttering league form to date, the added pressures of European football are chief among them, with a constant injury list and a haphazard pre-season close behind. Glancing merely at the statistics, the European theory has its merits.

One win in five post-European outings does not make for pleasant reading. Everton have also been away from home following each of their three away Europa League ventures. That is not the case Monday, as they host Queens Park Rangers after a home Europa League loss to Krasnodar.

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Lineups and Stats

Yet the rigours of travelling and quick turnaround between continental and domestic duties are not quite the burden they first appear. It is not as though the same XI featured from game to game. Aside from the group opener in which Everton named the same XI victorious against West Brom the previous weekend, numerous changes have arisen either side of the European excursions. Phil Jagielka and Tim Howard are the only players to start every Premier League game, and nobody has featured in more than five of the six European outings.

With Roberto Martinez managing his squad in the hope of rotating toward a strong finish, tiredness is too easy an excuse. It is certainly an excuse without substance for the visit of QPR to Goodison Park.

Making 10 changes from the defeat at Manchester City last weekend -- Gareth Barry kept his place in light of his suspension for this match -- the bulk of those set to start against Harry Redknapp's team received a midweek rest.

Impressing in midweek against Krasnodar and in the corresponding match away to Wolfsburg, Luke Garbutt is set to return to bench duty for this one, though he remains at the forefront of supporters' thinking for another reason: his expiring contract. His current deal runs out in the summer and the Blues should act quickly to tie this promising defender to a long-term deal. He is unlikely to be short of offers otherwise.

As striking as the European progress has been, it slips from the agenda for the immediate future. Aside from Monday's draw for the knockout stages, Europa League commitments do not recommence until late February. Now is the time for Everton to focus their attention on a lacklustre domestic campaign. One win in six league games and only two home wins this season is not the form of a side with designs on a Champions League place. Ryan Ledson featured in the home loss vs. Krasnodar as Roberto Martinez continued to alternate his XI between Europa League and Premier League competitions.

The Blues must overcome a tendency to self-destruct, too, especially when faced with a team or a player needing a confidence boost. If there is a player amid a scoring drought, expect it to end; if there is a team on a losing streak, bank on them finding three points. Everton are too often lulled into a false sense of security and open their doors to find themselves missing the family silver shortly afterward.

One of the earliest memories came in January 1999 when Nottingham Forest travelled to Goodison Park. Rock bottom of the division and winless in 20 league games, Forest departed with a 1-0 win thanks to Pierre Van Hooijdonk. It has continued at various intervals since then. Witness a player or team floundering and you can anticipate them finding their feet against those in royal blue. Another notable example saw Reading grab their first win of the season at the 11th attempt when Everton came knocking in November 2012.

A more recent example materialised in the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in November of this season. Roberto Soldado was only a few days short of 10 months without a league goal when he netted the winner at White Hart Lane. This unhappy knack of providing gifts to those struggling is why the upcoming visit of QPR instantly creates that familiar sense of dread. Without top-scorer Charlie Austin through suspension, the visitors are winless in their seven away matches thus far, losing each of the seven and scoring just two goals in the process. Never has a QPR away win seemed more likely.

It is something the home side cannot allow, particularly with Martinez's men currently 10 points behind fourth-placed West Ham. The bid to return to winning ways could be boosted by one or two much-needed players regaining fitness after injury, with John Stones making a quicker than expected recovery, although this match is probably too soon for a player not long back in training.

Fitness tests wait for Darron Gibson, Steven Naismith and James McCarthy. The latter's return to action will be a godsend whenever it should materialise; such is his influence on the side, especially with Gareth Barry suspended for this one. The prospect of a league match without Barry and McCarthy is an unattractive one.

Returning players can help provide the springboard for improvement while Europe fades into the background for a month or two. More importantly, though, Everton must be wary of 'doing an Everton' against a side without a point on their travels so far.

Luke is ESPN FC's Everton blogger. Follow Luke on Twitter @lukeofarrell.