Everton manager David Moyes has been dealt a blow as winger Dwight McNeil suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury which could require potentially season-ending surgery.
The 25-year-old has been out since early last month but, having not recovered, is now scheduled to revisit a specialist to see whether he will need to have an operation.
McNeil is the club’s joint-highest Premier League assist provider with three and joint second-highest scorer with three, despite having been absent for the past seven matches.
As the Toffees prepared to play Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex today (Saturday 25 January), Everton boss David Moyes said: “It looks like Dwight is probably going to have to have some surgery on his knee.
“He was out this morning on the grass trying to get going and didn’t feel right. They were always saying if he didn’t come through today, we’d take him back to the specialist.
“I’m saying surgery, the specialist might decide something else. I was only told this about half-an-hour before I came into the press conference.”
Asked what the worst-case scenario might be, Moyes added: “If you get opened up, I don’t think people come back quicker than four to six weeks.
“My general feeling is that they don’t feel it’s something so bad – it’s not like he has got a cruciate or anything like that. Hopefully, he will be ok.
“It’s a real blow because we need him back for things like deliveries and set-plays but also for his general play as, by all accounts, he’s performed really well.”
With Everton just four points above the relegation zone, Moyes could do without the setback this weekend.
Such is the paucity of resources in the squad, he said that he may have to pitch the likes of midfielders James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam straight back into the squad despite both being out injured since October.
Moyes said: “James is a bit further on than Tim at the moment. Tim has been back in training the last three or four days.
“In an ideal scenario, you’d give them a couple of under-21 games and some more practice but if we need to use them, we would.
“They’ll not be too far away because I need them around the squad to give me that bit more depth.”
Moyes is due to manage his 700th Premier League match this weekend, the majority of those games coming in his first spell at Everton. He also took charge of Manchester United, Sunderland and West Ham – twice.
He said: “It’s incredible really. When you start out I don’t think you ever believe… you’re maybe never going to become a Premier League manager… but to get 700 games behind me now it’s a fair achievement, so very pleased.
“There are two great managers ahead of me in Arsene (Wenger) and Alex (Ferguson) but I don’t think I’ll be making their numbers, that’s for sure.”
