Moyes facing injury nightmare ahead of Liverpool clash
Sunday, 23 Mar 2008 15:58
David Moyes' side have seven games to overtake Liverpool for the final Champions League spot
Everton have an injury crisis ahead of next Sunday's crunch game with rivals
Liverpool.
Midfielder Tim Cahill is a major doubt after limping off yesterday with a suspected foot injury in the tenth minute of the 1-1 draw with
West Ham United.
Toffees boss David Moyes said: "We are not really sure how bad he is, we will have to assess the injury."
The recurrence of the foot injury means Cahill will not be playing for Australia in a friendly in China in midweek.
Defender Joseph Yobo and midfielder Stephen Pienaar are also doubts for the clash with the Reds after missing the game against West Ham.
After today's 3-0 defeat to
Manchester United at Old Trafford, fourth-placed Liverpool are two points ahead of the Toffees.
Moyes' men, who lie in fifth place, have just one point from their last two games.
But midfielder Leon Osman is confident his side can bounce back against their local rivals.
"We have to pick ourselves up now and make sure we get three points at Anfield, we can handle this," Osman said.
"The West Ham game was good preparation for the derby because it became 100mph out there, end to end, and that is the way it will go next week so it was good for us to be involved in a game like that."
Meanwhile, defender Leighton Baines has dismissed claims the Toffees are feeling the affects of playing 47 games already this season.
"I don't think we're getting tired, there are people who play 50 games a season every year," Baines said.
"At the moment we just have some injuries and a few players to come back and hopefully that will be soon. We are all still confident ahead of the Liverpool match."