Everton FC injuries at breaking point as Sylvain Distin goes off at Tottenham

Jan 12 2012 by Philip Kirkbride, Liverpool Echo

DAVID MOYES will have to wait to find out the extent of Sylvain Distin’s injury – as Everton’s problems at centre-half near breaking point.

Defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last night was compounded with Distin’s hamstring injury which forced him off early in the second half and now leaves the Goodison outfit down to the bare bones in his position as they prepare for Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.

Distin, 34, is expected to undergo tests at Finch Farm today to offer Moyes a proper diagnosis of the Frenchman’s situation but given the nature of the injury, it looks unlikely the former Manchester City defender be fit for the weekend’s game in the West Midlands which would leave the side with just one senior centre-half – John Heitinga.

Shane Duffy, the 20-year-old recalled early from his loan spell with Scunthorpe United last week, filled the void admirably for the final 30 minutes at White Hart Lane last night but the Irishman is not seen as the solution whilst Distin and Phil Jagielka – sidelined for up to six weeks – are out.

When asked about the nature and severity of Distin’s injury, Moyes said: “It’s his hamstring but I’m not too sure.”

On an exasperating night in the capital, Everton’s appeal for a late penalty, when Royston Drenthe was clumsily bundled over in the area by Younes Kaboul, were ignored by referee Martin Atkinson.

Moyes refused to comment on the decision or the performance of the official who has already enraged Everton this season by wrongly sending off Jack Rodwell in October’s derby.

And though Moyes believes his side were competitive, he admits Everton lacked any cutting edge to trouble title-chasing Spurs.

“We had played okay and had made a few chances ourselves, but we needed to try and be clinical when we got chances here,” said Moyes. “But we weren’t clinical, though I don’t think we played that badly.

“We tried to give Tottenham a game and for most of it, I think we did. Tottenham are doing well and so is the manager with the team they’ve got.

“They are title contenders, they are a really good team but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we did okay tonight and we played quite well. We tried to give them a game as much as we could. We really needed something, someone to strike a ball cleanly and the ball to go in but we never had that.”

Moyes added: “I would rather not comment on the officials, or certainly on this official.”