Everton wait on Mirallas and Stones injuries

, 7 October, 86comments  |  Jump to most recent
Duo could both be out for 8 weeks
John Stones will have this injured ankle assessed by a specialist this week as Everton wait to find out how long the he will be sidelined.

The 20-year-old collapsed to the turf at Old Trafford after falling badly coming out of an aerial challenge as the Blues chased an equaliser in stoppage time and had to be stretchered off with ligament damage that could keep him out for around two months.

The swelling around the ankle has precluded an accurate forecast of how long he will take to recover, though and the Finch Farm medical staff are hoping a specialist opinion can offer a more reliable prognosis.

Stones was withdrawn from England's upcoming Euro2016 qualifiers as a result of the injury.

The club are also waiting for a definitive verdict on Kevin Mirallas after the Belgian pulled up with a torn hamstring in the Merseyside derby last month.

By the Liverpool Echo's understanding of his situation, Everton believe Mirallas suffered a similar injury to that sustained by Gerard Deulofeu last season, one that kept him out of action for 8 weeks.

 

Reader Comments (86)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer


Anthony Hughes
1 Posted 07/10/2014 at 17:43:48
Such a shame if the time scale is true as both were two of our better players so far this season.
Jim Bennings
2 Posted 07/10/2014 at 17:42:04
More good news!

Sad if not to be expected update on what we all knew we're both serious injuries at the time.

Two big players and more importantly two of our best performers so far this season and we are going to miss both men equally.

The prospect of seeing Distin back partnering Jags with Howard behind them is enough to make me think Halloween has come early.

Add to the news "baby" Oviedo is out recuperating for another three weeks then it's just all the more depressing.

It's going to be one long hard slog until Christmas or the January transfer window.

Harold Matthews
3 Posted 07/10/2014 at 18:07:10
Any talk about meeting weaker teams goes out of the window.
Ian McDowell
4 Posted 07/10/2014 at 18:16:02
This is where Roberto is taking some flak. It's because of signings such as Alcaraz, Kone, Robles and McGeady who should be offering competition for places or providing a good back up but are just not cutting it.
Ajay Gopal
5 Posted 07/10/2014 at 18:01:48
I am pretty sure that Martinez will use Alcaraz to partner Jagielka with Distin as a backup. I don't think Oviedo will be unavailable because of this minor procedure. He will have enough time during the international break to recover and I expect him to be available for the next game. From the OS, Kone's comeback still seems uncertain. But, at least he seems to be as frustrated about his long lay-off as the fans are - so good luck to him with his recovery.

Let us hope that there are no more injuries to our players on international duty.

Jim Bennings
6 Posted 07/10/2014 at 18:46:45
Ian

I couldn't agree more.

I found out only in August that since Martinez has been manager he has only brought ONE defender to the club... Alcaraz.

He let Heitinga and Duffy go.

We are now faced with our worst injury crisis for some time and I would now like to see some evidence of what Martinez has continued to state since he's been here, which is promoting some promising young players to the first team squad.

He has done so with Browning, we may well need to see more of him in the near future, but we may need to promote a few more.

The reality of Alcaraz playing a handful of games in succession without having some kind of bodily reaction is very remote, Ajay.

We have at present three available first team centre-halves, we don't have a single creative central midfielder fit and we have one goalkeeper (Mr USA) who is currently off his head but knows because Robles has been so bad that he's untouchable and will not be dropped unless he breaks both his arms.

Ian McDowell
7 Posted 07/10/2014 at 19:12:46
I wouldn't write Distin off and would certainly prefer him to Alcaraz.
James Martin
8 Posted 07/10/2014 at 19:06:54
Jim. Duffy barely played for us and to most observers looked as though he wouldn't cut it. He did well for the few games he was thrown in but teams were hardly clamouring for him when we sold him. So really all Roberto did was sell Heitinga promote Stones and get Alcaraz on a free. He increased the centreback coverage and gave our best centreback (Stones) the opportunity to play regularly. Some seasons we went through the whole season with 3 senior centrebacks and barely had any injuries. It's not Roberto's fault that two of his three best centrebacks are now injured. How many should we have stockpiled? Bought a big name for a few million we didn't have just to have him or Stones sitting on the bench?

These injuries are truly sickening. I could accept the Barkley one. Every club seems to have that one who doesn't make it out of pre-season. But these were probably our two best players and for them both to be out for a substantial length of time is just gut wrenching.

it seems to be a curse, its never the fringe players out for any length of time, or even the older cloggers like Distin and Barry, nor is it ever our calamitous goalkeeper. It's never in areas were we have good cover either. Oviedo, Gibson and Besic are kicking their heels whilst McCarthy Barry and Baines are nearly always ever present.

No its always whoever are the key players at that moment in time. 2009 Arteta, Jagielka and Yakubu all with cruciates, bye bye FA Cup. 2012-13 Gibson and Mirallas missing for huge chunks of the season, 2013-14 Lukaku, Pienaar, Gibson missing a lot of the season. This season it's the same story. Whereas you see other sides like Liverpool Tottenham Chelsea City who do have injuries but never to a collection of key players at the same time. How would City fare if Kompany Silva Toure and Aguero all were out for two months? Chelsea if it was Terry, Fabregas, Costa. Liverpool with Henderson Sterling Sturridge.

It's the same story every single season, we're either sharing the same rubbish medical team Arsenal have, we buy injury prone players because we always look cheap, or we are just rank unlucky. I'm going with the latter as usual with Everton.

Ian Bennett
9 Posted 07/10/2014 at 19:24:07
Give Browning his chance at centre back.

If anything is to come out of this, it's blooding youngsters to strengthen the core squad. I'd be disappointed if he goes down the Alcaraz, Hibbert or Distin route.

Derek Knox
10 Posted 07/10/2014 at 19:14:22
Harold,

That's probably what the rest are saying about us, mate. It's the opposite of when you are on a decent run, teams are more wary and give you some respect. Whereas, the poor run we've been on deflates any confidence, and the opposition think, we've got nothing to fear here let's go for it, while they've got injuries aplenty.

This is where you need a squad who are prepared to give in effort what they may lack in other areas, but the ones who have been given the opportunity, just seem to go through the motions.

It's ironic too, that all the injuries are to key players.

Mick Wrende
11 Posted 07/10/2014 at 19:27:35
Martinez goes on about youngsters but still plays Hibbert and Osman. Don't hold your breath about Oviedo - there is a fair amount of tissue damage removing a screw so 3 weeks is reasonable. Knowing our record it will be longer.
Ian Jones
16 Posted 07/10/2014 at 20:31:21
Am surprised that one of those work-based injury claims companies hasn't contacted us to sponsor us.

On a serious note, it would be a good time to put some of these younger players in. So many players don't get a chance to show their potential and then move on elsewhere. It could be that they aren't good enough for Prem League...

Sadly with it being such a results driven business, I guess we will never know if some of these U21s can play a bit.

Patrick Murphy
17 Posted 07/10/2014 at 20:49:40
Injuries are of course part and parcel of the game, but I fear that our players don't get a great deal of protection from the officials, how many occasions do we go into our 'big' games shorn of regular first-teamers or come out of those same games with somebody put out of action for a good number of games. Of course it can't all be blamed on the officials but I do think we get a fair number of bookings for petty fouls while at the same time we get clogged on a regular basis without suitable punishment for the offending players.

All the fun of being an Evertonian in the Premier League era - we rarely go a full season without picking up a serious injury or two but this year has been truly awful as to the key players we have lost for substantial parts of the year.

Harold Matthews
19 Posted 07/10/2014 at 21:39:13
Yes Derek, oh for a few more with the Naismith attitude.
Kevin Rowlands
22 Posted 08/10/2014 at 00:52:36
I don't want to go all Phil Walling here but this season is now starting to look like a very hard struggle. Ross hasn't kicked a ball yet, Mirallas and Stones out for EIGHT fucking weeks? Team low on confidence, Distin allegedly going awol, Howard looking shaky at best with a back-up that even the manager obviously has no confidence in... Okay, I'd take a PW seventhish at this point and be very happy!
Christopher Kelly
23 Posted 08/10/2014 at 01:02:53
I’ve never seen a club that takes so long to assess injuries. Why does it take weeks to get straight answers and, when prognoses are given, they’re usually wrong? I understand swelling going down and all but, WEEKS later, we get a response.

Martinez is such a politician, it seems. Wants people to really like him but seems to be making such dumb personnel moves in relation to his vision of the club. We’d be so much further along if he just stuck to coaching and had a better evaluator of talent on the staff.

Mark Andersson
24 Posted 08/10/2014 at 04:08:13
Just one day of good news is all I ask. This is like a fucking soap opera, oh no even more drama.

Think I better start looking for another way to amuse myself.

Darryl Ritchie
25 Posted 08/10/2014 at 06:43:35
Before, and during the transfer window, RM stated that we needed a larger squad to compete in all competitions this season. That didn’t happen. The lack of activity is coming back to haunt us.

With the long term injuries to a growing list of key players, the future, in the short term at least, doesn’t look so good. With us showing the form we have lately, topped off with an injury depleted squad, there will be no easy matches.

Mark Tanton
26 Posted 08/10/2014 at 08:24:08
It's early days but I don't think it's fatalistic to suggest that this season, as we thought it might go, is over. Serious expectation adjustment required.
Anto Byrne
27 Posted 08/10/2014 at 08:18:12
Garbutt and Browning with Baines to replace Barry. Jags and Distin to get it together at the back and Howard to wake up from his World Cup hangover or Robles to come in and earn a spot.

Atsu has to come in for Mirallas and be given enough games to prosper. Big Rom back in the middle and Besic and McCarthy playing in central midfield with Eto'o or Naismith. Osman, Pienaar, Oviedo, Hibbert and McGeady off the bench. Coleman should be close to a comeback but we won't see Stones or Mirallas until next year. We have the players, they just need to turn it up a notch or two.

The pedestrian football is as bad as under Moyes. We've seen glimpses of the good stuff so it's only a matter of time and a few more games to get this season up and running. It does seem that we get punished for every mistake, whether it's a flapping keeper or careless back heel. Again the signs are there so lets not panic just yet – we are only 5 points off the top 4 and still have 30+ games to play.

Adam Luszniak
28 Posted 08/10/2014 at 08:49:22
To those above stating that our season is over, I suppose it depends on what your expectations were when it began? Now don't get me wrong, I'm as fed up as the next person when I look at our attitude and form compared to last season, not to mention our league position and luck with injuries.

However, I was not expecting to finish as high this season as we did last, given that every team which finished around us spent more money, and the fact that teams like Man Utd and Spurs had poor seasons last time around, and were unlikely to repeat that performance given adequate funding and a new man in charge.

Yes, currently we're terrible. However, we're still more than capable of improving and getting up to the 6th, 7th or 8th spots. I would love us to be challenging for higher than that, but I'm not sure it's realistic.

We still have the FA Cup and the Europa League to play for, and we're not doing too badly in the latter in a group that's arguably the hardest one out there.

Reasons to be cheerful?

Colin Glassar
29 Posted 08/10/2014 at 08:57:18
I'm still aiming for 4th place this season. The RS, Spurs and Man Utd are even weaker (mentally) than last season. We go on a run and we can overtake them. Ffs, we are only 5 points off 4th place!!
Dave Lynch
30 Posted 08/10/2014 at 09:35:15
Colin.
If we finish 4th or above, I will donate £50 to a charity of your choice mate and will do it gladly.

Mike Oates
31 Posted 08/10/2014 at 09:44:11
Our kids – McAleny, Lundstram, Hope, Kennedy, Duffy, Long – clearly aren't ready or good enough for Martinez after giving them game time in the preseason; only Garbutt and Browning are. Now whether that 's Martinez being cautious or they truly aren't, only time will tell. I watched with some jealously Man Utd giving their kids lots of game time recently and they haven't let them down as the table never lies!

I think Martinez spent far too much time and money on Lukaku this summer, he has completely overlooked our shortcomings in the centre-midfield creativity area. Ossie can only contribute as an impact sub, leaving Barkey and Mirallas as our 90-min true game-changers.

The remaining monies went on Besic, who clearly has something, and if we did pay £4m on Galloway, he should be used right now as a back up centre-half, where he's played before – but I see we are playing him at left back in U21s!!!

Pablo Connelly
32 Posted 08/10/2014 at 10:28:35
Ian (#4) makes a fair point. I haven't lost faith with Roberto, he has been very unlucky in a lot of ways this season. However, his recruitment is not standing up to scrutiny at the minute. The failures in Robles, Alcaraz and Kone were papered over due to the successful loanees last year. However, he has not called on the first two despite poor form and injuries this season, which tells its own story, and let's be honest, there isn't likely to be much quality left in Kone's legs after he comes back from an 18-month pace-sapping injury at 31/32.

Looking at this season, Lukaku and Barry looked to be progressive moves but both have started poorly (although maybe a bit harsh on Barry). Besic needs time but hasn't hit the ground running, and he looks to have already lost faith in Atsu. Eto'o needs a run to be fair.

That only really leaves McCarthy as his one successful permanent signing. However, as fantastic as he is without the ball, he needs to take a lot more responsibility with it. Every time I see him choose a backwards or sideways pass when he has an opportunity to really drive at the opposition, I really wonder if he can be the player we need him to be.

Don't get me wrong; I am hopeful some of these players will come good but I don't think half of them will, and during and injury crisis it shows in results. My big worry is what will Everton look like after a couple more recruitment drives and the excellent players Martinez inherited are either too old or have moved on? At that point, we will have a team entirely made up of Martinez signings. If his current success ratio for recruitment doesn't improve, we will be in big trouble.

Pablo Connelly
33 Posted 08/10/2014 at 10:58:31
Forgot to mention McGeady... the fact I forgot about him says it all really!
Phil Walling
34 Posted 08/10/2014 at 11:57:48
Trying to be positive, I've decided to consider our first seven matches as a deferred pre-season build up and pretend the season starts with the Villa game.

This technique is used to prevent me dwelling on the absolute dross we have seen so far and will spare my fellow TWers from further utterings regarding my fears over Roberto.

A nine game build up should be more than enough. The season starts in ten days time!

Phil Walling
35 Posted 08/10/2014 at 12:12:14
Meant to say 'seven Premier League games as part of the build up'.
Dave Lynch
36 Posted 08/10/2014 at 13:23:43
Tell you one thing. If we get a beating off Villa and he starts with the positivity malarkey, I will well and truly feel he's taking the piss. You can't blame everything on bad luck and refereeing decisions and sooner or later he is going to have to face a few home truths.

Pre-season was a total disaster, lack of prep and poor tactical nous has gotten us where we are, not luck (or stated lack of it) and the condition of the players which must be contributing to our ever growing injury list.

Kevin Rowlands
37 Posted 08/10/2014 at 13:58:18
Just read on kipper the RM mural is being taken down and replaced with a Harvey/Kendall/Ball one. Thank fuck for that, a really stupid idea. Hopefully this will start to change our luck around.
Alex Carry
38 Posted 08/10/2014 at 14:19:41
I know I'm going to get the kitchen sink thrown at me for this but I think Alcaraz is a tidy little footballer. He shows great composure on the ball, something we need at the back!
Sam Hoare
39 Posted 08/10/2014 at 14:33:51
Alex, he is not quite the disaster that many on here would paint him as but he's getting on and not played that much. He's not very quick which, given our vulnerability to the counter-attack, can be an issue.

In a way, I'd prefer him in a match in which we would expect to do more defending, against a top 4 team when we will be a tad more cautious, rather than against someone like Villa who will look to catch us on the break with pace.

Either way, it sounds like Distin is out in the cold so I think we can expect to see a lot more of Alcaraz in the next few weeks... unless Martinez has the balls to play Browning (or even Galloway?) at CB – which I think is unlikely given how seldom he has thrown young players in.

Eddie Dunn
40 Posted 08/10/2014 at 14:59:25
Talking about the poor physical condition of the players, and the awful pre-season, does anyone else remember the policy that Roberto trumpeted when he took over?

In last season's pre-season he was putting emphasis on ball work, less on running and other non-ball related exercise, and he stated that it had been scientifically proven that the players were actually fitter on all the tests, than previously.

On this term's evidence, should we now go back to the old system or wasn't he able to do enough ball work due to the World Cup?

Also, it is interesting to see that Oviedo, who has had to do long gym sessions to strengthen his leg, seems to be as sharp as anyone, without match practice!

James Martin
41 Posted 08/10/2014 at 16:24:43
All I will say is Mourinho plays the same 11 nearly every game regardless of age. Guardiola also used to do the same. Messi would play every single game of a 50-game season and look absolutely fine.

Martinez was rotating after five games. We're the only team still with tired World Cup players. Courtois, Fabregas, Schurrle – all fine. Howard, Jagielka, Lukaku – all run down and drained. We've also now lost every game we've rotated in, and injured most of the first team we tried to protect.

I can guarantee you if we met Chelsea in the Cup Final, all of their first 11 will be fit despite zero rotation all season. We'll have half a team out and be knackered after 60 minutes despite chucking a load of points away early season to keep everyone fresh.

Rotation is a myth. These top teams have big squads but they only use them to cover injuries. We can't cover injuries because we pick up loads by rotating.

Best player last season? McCarthy? Played nearly every game. Barry? Played nearly every game. Coleman? Played nearly every game. Players prefer to play more regularly; this resting nonsense is just breaking up their rhythm. Diego Costa is even managing three games in a week with a dodgy hamstring yet our first team, despite having no pre-season, needed a two-week rest before a derby that they still looked knackered in against a Liverpool side who had done 150 mins a couple of days earlier.

Our fitness work, approach to injury prevention, pre-season preparation, has been and remains a joke for a side supposedly one of the best in the Premier League.

We take 2 months to hit our stride every season, struggle over Christmas, and then fall off a cliff in the last month or so. We have more injuries than anyone and now we seem to have to rotate every week. Absolute joke.

Ian Glassey
42 Posted 08/10/2014 at 17:12:01
James Martin, spot on mate.

How the hell can they be tired after a few games? It's crazy.

Tony J Williams
43 Posted 08/10/2014 at 17:22:21
Cracking point on Costa, James..... his hammy has been goosed for a few weeks, apparently, but he is managing to play AND score.
Rob Halligan
44 Posted 08/10/2014 at 17:55:20
Re: Eddies point #40, regarding Martinez spending time at the World Cup, rather than focusing on pre-season training. Isn't this down to Kenwright to tell Martinez he needs to concentrate on Everton's pre-season, rather than the World Cup? After all, it's Everton that pays his wages – not Fifa.

If Martinez was on a scouting mission, what do all his scouts do? Surely they should be at the World Cup, searching for new players? Also, I know Martinez was doing TV but for how long?

Finally, most of our World Cup players started pre-season a week before the season kicked off. Fuck me, that's 5-6 weeks after the World Cup final, none of which our players were in, so why the long break?

Mike Oates
45 Posted 08/10/2014 at 19:55:09
Steve Tashijan left in summer to return to USA; was he miffed re pre- season? did he not agree with Martinez or was it just time up? I don't know, don't care... except I don't think we've been ready at all for this season.
Colin Glassar
46 Posted 08/10/2014 at 20:34:49
Dave Lynch #30, any of the cancer-related charities and I'll match you with another £50.
Dave Lynch
47 Posted 08/10/2014 at 20:51:26
No worries, Colin.

My wife is a chemotherapy nurse at Clatterbridge hospital and Claire House is next door, the Hospice for terminally-ill children.

I'll donate my £50 quid to them mate, added pressure for Roberto as I will not be happy if I don't have to pay up.

Cheers mate. Dave.

Kieran Riding
48 Posted 08/10/2014 at 20:55:25
Sam #39

Distin isn't "out in the cold" – the NSNO story is way off the mark.

I'm fully expecting him and Jags to start next game up, unless our injury curse continues over the international games.

Patrick Murphy
49 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:03:22
Let's hope whoever is chosen in the first eleven, as according to the Echo the match with Villa is sold out. A fitting way to mark the 100th meeting between the two clubs in the top flight on Merseyside.
Colin Glassar
50 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:08:45
Cheers, Dave. My money will probably go to the Macmillan nurses who do a fantastic job.
Gavin Fennessy
51 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:08:20
Dave & Colin, I'll match that £100 happily lads.
Andy Crooks
52 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:06:56
James Martin (#41) — an absolutely spot on post. Our ludicrous rotation strategy makes us look like novices mimicking their big-time idols.
Phil Walling
53 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:12:21
Just this once, I'm with you, Colin. I'm in for 50 quid for MacMillan Nurses. The season starts with the Villa game!
Colin Glassar
54 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:21:43
Game on, Phil. Cheers lads, if you contribute only a couple of quid to cancer research, or any other affiliated charities, it would be a brilliant gesture.
Dave Lynch
55 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:22:40
Nice one Gav and Phil. Let's hope we're all a few quid lighter come next March.
John Daley
56 Posted 08/10/2014 at 21:47:47
Nice gesture, boys. Watched my old man finally lose his fight with cancer 18 months ago and have to agree that the MacMillan nurses do great work. More than happy to chuck in with Col and Phil on this one.

Steve Woods
57 Posted 08/10/2014 at 22:27:14
Word tonight from another website forum is that John Stones had his operation on Monday and has potentially a 10-week recovery period.
Alex Trevalyn
58 Posted 08/10/2014 at 23:36:57
Re the charity, like John, I will not be shy with my donation...
Denis Richardson
59 Posted 08/10/2014 at 23:16:27
The injury to Mirallas is a real blow; Stones not great either but less of an issue as, with Coleman back, I think our usual backup, with Jags and Distin should be okay till Xmas, assuming of course they don't get injured! We don't have any real cover for Mirallas, of anywhere near the same quality.

We're going to be relying on our FBs even more to get some goals and assists in the next couple of months. We can only hope that the likes of McGeady and Atsu can step up and Barkley is raring to go come the 18th.

A few days to get some of the war wounded back but we're going to have to just grind out some results in the coming weeks.

Sam Hoare
60 Posted 09/10/2014 at 00:24:37
I'm in with the donation.
Anto Byrne
61 Posted 09/10/2014 at 03:25:34
A torn hammy can take six months to heal and if it's off the bone, count on a year of rehab. He won't be the same player after a year out and will take a season to get back to peak fitness. Stones should be back in 8 weeks and again will take a few weeks to get up to speed. We won't see Barkley until at least December, maybe January, as the risk of breakdown is too great.

The 6-7 players we really needed and were promised by the club never materialised. We bought Rom on the never-never so it is not like they blew all the money from Fellaini, Anichebe and Jelavic, something close to £40M.

So, with only Besic (£4M) and Barry (£2M) coming in for real cash, as well as McCarthy (£13M) and McGeady (£2M), we should have at least £20M spare to add to the additional TV money and the top 5 finish.

So the club should be sitting on around £30M to reinforce the side come the next window. The only thing that would scupper this is if the club are using that capital to prop up the operating expenses and running at a loss. If this is the case, the whole board of management should be sacked as running any business at a loss is not viable. It's no fucking wonder Everton are the paupers of the Premier League.

Unless you're an oil baron or a filthy rich sheikh, ownership of football clubs should be by the issue of shares. I reckon Everton would have a market capitalisation of some £500M and issue a million shares at 50p.

Anthony Hughes
62 Posted 09/10/2014 at 08:00:11
The rotation policy does seem to be a bit bemusing. If the players aren't match fit then surely they can only get that match fitness by playing each week. It's great in theory trying to save players' legs for later in the season but it's pointless if you aren't winning the games when rotation is taking place.

It goes back to the other point as well that our squad does not have enough in depth quality to carry out a rotation policy. The summer transfer window was very underwhelming.

Kevin Rowlands
63 Posted 09/10/2014 at 13:15:18
Oh FFS... it's now being reported from reliable sources on twitter: John Stones out 10 to 14 fucking weeks... this season's going from bad to worse.
Paul Andrews
64 Posted 09/10/2014 at 13:49:45
Stones out 10-14 weeks .

Absolute sickener for the lad

Sam Hoare
65 Posted 09/10/2014 at 13:49:15
Stones out for 10-14 weeks according to Martinez on the OS. We will miss him as he has looked our best CB and the defense has been much better since he has started in the middle.

Am not enjoying this season at all.

Will Firstbrook
66 Posted 09/10/2014 at 13:51:29
Stones out 10-12 weeks. Surgery required. Gutted for him
Will Firstbrook
67 Posted 09/10/2014 at 13:53:45
Check that - potentially out for up to 14 weeks
Tony J Williams
68 Posted 09/10/2014 at 13:53:58
I might just hibernate until next August....

Too early I know, but I feel like I am ready to write this season off already

Brent Stephens
69 Posted 09/10/2014 at 14:18:40
Poo. All we need now is for a few tossers to use the "sick note" label.
James Morgan
70 Posted 09/10/2014 at 14:24:08
Gutted. Need a centre half in January. Although I reckon Browning could do well given the chance.
Ian Glassey
71 Posted 09/10/2014 at 14:13:32
What bad luck for the lad, and for the club to lose are two best players in the space of a week. Can anything else go wrong this season, are squad is not good enough to get through the rest of the season. Imagine if Jags gets a knock.
Tony J Williams
72 Posted 09/10/2014 at 14:27:11
Bloody sick note........
Steve Brown
73 Posted 09/10/2014 at 14:29:05
James 69, agree. Would prefer to give Browning the chance than to revert to Distin or Alcaraz.
Andrew Ellams
74 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:04:48
Goodbye, season... It’s just a case now of whether Martinez can turn it round enough from being a total disaster. I’m not confident.

We won’t go down but we will finish low enough to convince our younger stars to think long and hard about jumping ship.

Jim Bennings
75 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:11:10
Massive blow regarding Stones.

We won't see him back in action before the end of January now at the earliest.

Someone please just scrub this season off the record book now.

Sam Hoare
76 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:13:37
Yup...i very much hope Martinez uses this as a chance to blood another of the kids. Browning the obvious choice, though Galloway could be a long shot. Either way, turn this injury into a positive by giving game time to one of Stones' future partners.
Dave Abrahams
77 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:09:24
James (#69) and Steve (#72), I do not think Browning is ready to start matches; keep him on the bench and give him 20 and 30 minutes as a sub.

He has a decent chance of becoming a first team player – just don’t rush him.

Liam Reilly
78 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:15:27
10-14 Weeks - but at least its a 'Perfect Recovery'.

I'm a fan of RM; but FFS there's nothing perfect about losing our best central defender for up to 4 months of the season.

Lee Gorre
79 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:18:30
I'd take 10 weeks now with Everton's track record on injury timescales. Puts it in context when Martinez says he'll be back for the final part of the season – Christ we've only just begun it!
Will Firstbrook
80 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:28:41
Agreed Liam. RM's all-consuming positivity is looking bizarre these days. You wonder if you locks himself in the office and curls up under his desk in the fetal position with his fingers jammed in his ears.
Linda Morrison
81 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:42:58
I'm thinking that we must have collectively undertaken some terrible actions to be as cursed as we are at the moment with injuries. Other teams, in fact most teams with the exception of Arsenal, don't have the bad luck we have.

I don't see anything to be positive about at all Roberto. We'll be lucky to see Stones back before February/March if at all. Kevin should be back November/December.

It's up to the rest of the lads now to buckle down and show what they are made of and win some games. I remember what Baby Bryan said after his leg break-"If you get beat you don't throw in the towel, you work harder still and use the towel to wipe the sweat off your face" That's what needed true grit and a bit of fighting spirit.

I still expect them to win a cup this season and finish in the top half. But I also think Labour to be in No 10 soon so what do I know.

All bits of anatomy crossed folks against any more injuries in the Internationals!

Nicholas Page
82 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:52:27
This is it why we needed 6/7 NEW players. How do Hull bring in 10 Prem players and we struggle, literally to get two in, one of whom has never played in the league before. How, Bill, how?
Patrick Murphy
83 Posted 09/10/2014 at 15:58:41
The Board of directors should have a word with Roberto and remind him that bad news is bad news and that bad results are bad results. Positivity is all very well in its place but if I was working for him as an employee I would be confused by his constant positivity. If I believed something I had done had been below my usual standards, I would find it difficult to accept that the manager was praising me for it.

The truth is the truth after all and no amount of sugar coated words can mask that. There is a big question mark about Roberto so far this season and I am also beginning to tire of the constant barrage of positivity as it seems totally out of place.

On the injury news, it is a huge blow to the club and its supporters but hopefully we can muddle our way to a few points before our season starts in January 2015.

Steve King
84 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:02:54
Hull City Signings:

Robert Snodgrass (Norwich, £8m),
Jake Livermore (Tottenham, £6m),
Michael Dawson (Tottenham, £6m), Mohamed Diame (West Ham, £3.5m),
Harry Maguire (Sheffield United, £2.5m), Andrew Robertson (Dundee United, £2.85m), Brian Lenihan (Cork City, undisclosed),
Tom Ince (Blackpool, free),
Gaston Ramirez (Southampton, loan),
Hatem ben Arfa (Newcastle, loan),
Abel Hernandez (Palermo, £10m),
Mohamed Diame (West Ham, £3.5m)

I understand your point (from a financial point of view) nicholas, but I don't think any of them would improve our team.

Steve King
85 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:07:32
Even if we signed Diame twice as the list I provided above suggests!!
Jim Bennings
87 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:12:06
10-14 out injured.

Another 3-4 week's in training and getting "match sharpness "

Your looking at probably February before he's back on a football pitch again..

In that time we will have probably had a long term injury to Distin or Jagielka and Alcaraz will have been ruled out for 2 months to 2 years with muscle fatigue.

What a season.

Anthony Hughes
88 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:12:30
I'd take Hatem Ben Arfa over Mcgeady, Dawson would be better alternative than Alcaraz, Snodgrass is a goalscoring midfielder something which we lack. Three players there I think could have improved our squad. You could also make a case for Diame.
Phil Walling
89 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:22:56
Somehow, Steve, I don't think even Positive Pedro would agree with you on that score !
Denis Richardson
90 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:22:28
To be fair Steve, I would have loved us to sign ben Arfa on loan. He's a quality winger, not sure what happened between him and Pardew. Also if Roberston is the teenager LB, he would have been a good one for the future although Oviedo and Garbutt give us cover at LB.

Hernandez also scoring since he joined them....Tom Ince wouldn't have been a bad signing either on a free....

Linda Morrison
91 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:35:12
I've read Martinez's interview on the official website.
He and Distin have obviously kissed and made up as Distin is back fully trained and raring to go. Just as well he'll need to be raring to go for some time I think. Good news on Bryan, he will also be ready for the Villa.

If you read the full article the 10-14 weeks is the time before he can play again, but we have heard that before.

Chins up folks I want some of what Pat Nevin is on he still thinks the team can make the top 4!

Mike Allison
92 Posted 09/10/2014 at 16:42:02
Nicholas we were already way ahead of Hull. Your argument was dealt with so many times in the summer. Even Lee Carsley wrote about it in the Echo (I think).

Hull needed to bring in 10 players because they weren't as good as us. We needed to bring in a few so that we had a squad good enough to play twice a week at a high level. Apart from the back-up right back, we got what we needed.

You might argue that the players we signed weren't good enough, but that's a separate point. We have two players for every position and then some. The problem is that we seem to have seven or eight injured or unavailable all at once. Hull managed to get themselves knocked out of the Europa League, we're top of our group.

Simply signing loads of new players is not a universal fix it. You're far better off maintaining stability, improving the players you've got and developing their teamwork and interaction. We've shown this consistently over the last ten years. One frustrating start to the season doesn't mean we should suddenly become Tottenham.

Nicholas Page
93 Posted 09/10/2014 at 17:00:28
Steve and Mike, the point is RM said we needed 6/7 and we got 2.

On the issue of improving the team, having to rely on U21s/Hibbert etc when we get a few injuries hardly fills me/most of us (judging by comments on here) with joy. In fact, the squad is so short of true quality we got our fucking arses handed to us by Swansea in the League Cup.

Bizarrely, under the previous regime we used to play our best football when our backs were to the wall.

Tahir Abdullah
94 Posted 10/10/2014 at 05:17:32
This injury trend is assuming similar magnitude to that which contributed to RM' Wigan being relegated in 2012-13...

Add this to our limited squad size/depth & tight fixture schedule and it leaves RM with a bit to do to get EFC through this season...


Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

» Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.


About these ads

© ToffeeWeb