Everton FC News: Leighton Baines hands David Moyes welcome fitness boost

Oct 30 2009 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Everton FC News: LEIGHTON BAINES is poised to give beleaguered David Moyes a much-needed fitness boost by returning to action for Everton tomorrow.

The left-back has been missing after sustaining a calf problem in preparation for the Europa League clash against Benfica in Lisbon last week.

In the absence of Baines, Everton have lost three successive games while conceding 10 goals during that period.

But the 24-year-old has responded well to treatment and is expected to be in contention for the Premier League visit of Aston Villa.

Everton were without 10 senior professionals for the Carling Cup defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, with Louis Saha adding to injury list when forced off at half-time with his own calf injury.

Saha will be given further time to prove his fitness before tomorrow afternoon, with Everton aiming to halt a run of five games without a win.

The Frenchman’s injury gave Jo a chance to impress from the substitutes’ bench on Tuesday night, with the Brazilian delivering his most effective performance for some time.

With Yakubu working his way back to full match fitness, the forward line is the one area where Moyes has been able to juggle his resources.

And Jo said: “I think competition for places is good because the more world-class players you have the better.

“The competition is quite fierce but it’s a long season and we’re involved in lots of competitions so, in my opinion, the more players we have the better.

“Having a squad of 20 top-class players to choose from will be nice because we have so many games to play.”

Despite Everton’s difficult week, Jo is convinced Moyes’s side can soon rediscover their form.

“It was quite a difficult start to the season for the whole team, even though we had a good pre-season, but we then picked up some great results,” he added.

“I’m confident we will keep on picking up good results as the season wears on.”

Phil Neville, one of Everton’s many long-term injured, has reiterated his desire for a return in time for the clash at former club Manchester United on November 21.

The club captain has been sidelined since suffering a knee problem at Fulham early last month.

And Neville said: “It is six weeks since I met the surgeon and he said I would have peaks and troughs and plateaus with the injury.

“The first three or four weeks I thought I would be back playing inside six weeks, but I have reached a plateau now and it is frustrating! I really want to be back training and helping the guys out.

“I am hoping to be back for the Man United game. But you never know.

“That would be eight weeks after the injury and the surgeon said it was a 12-week injury. It just depends on how it is healing and how it is progressing.

“I am back running now which is good so we’ll take each day as it comes. In an ideal world I would love to be fit for the Man United game which is after the next international break.”