Jagielka out until the end of March

, 5 March, 37comments  |  Jump to most recent
Ankle gash will need time to heal
The severity of the gash to Phil Jagielka's ankle could mean he misses Everton's next two fixtures as well as England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers according to reports.

The defender was scythed down by Reading's Adam Le Fondre in the Blues' 3-1 win on Saturday and he required surgery to sew the wound back up.

It was initially thought that the 30-year-old would only miss this weekend's FA Cup quarter-final with Wigan but it now appears as though he won't be able to return before the visit of Stoke City to Goodison on 30th March.

That means he will also miss the visits of Manchester City as well as England's games against San Marino and Montenegro.

Quotes or other material sourced from Liverpool Echo



Reader Comments (37)

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Peter Bourke
1 Posted 05/03/2013 at 01:25:09
I don't think Le Fondre even got a yellow card did he??
That ref on Saturday was total shite.
Jamie Sweet
2 Posted 05/03/2013 at 02:20:10
Time to step the fuck up Johnny!
Julian Wait
3 Posted 05/03/2013 at 04:17:48
He did get a yellow but I am not sure if it was for that tackle or one of his later ones. It was a twat of a challenge though, cheap shot imho ...
Paul Ellam
4 Posted 05/03/2013 at 08:15:50
We need the Heitinga from last season, the Player of the Season.
Over to you, Johnny!
Steve Cunningham
5 Posted 05/03/2013 at 08:39:32
Leave Heitinga out because of his form this season on Saturday and put in a proper centre half: Shane Duffy.

In Moyes we trust... but sometimes his decisions baffle me – especially when he takes of someone like Mirallas and brings on that tosser Naismith who can't trap pass or shoot.

How about putting Pienaar on the right and bringing on Oviedo who does little wrong when he plays?

Matt Stephens
6 Posted 05/03/2013 at 08:58:02
He did get booked for it but only after being shown the cut by Jags while he was on the floor.
Tony J Williams
7 Posted 05/03/2013 at 09:03:12
Yep, Matt is right, the ref wasn't going to book him then Jags showed him the blood and he then had no option.
Harold Matthews
8 Posted 05/03/2013 at 10:39:51
Terrible news. Get well soon Jags. The Wigan game will be difficult without him. Heitinga played quite well against Reading but Wigan have more skill and pace. Gibson can't risk a tackle with his dodgy leg which means another double shift for Osman,Fellaini and Pienaar and a tough final 20 minutes when they run out of steam. Let's hope we are defending a 2 or 3 goal lead.
Kev Johnson
9 Posted 05/03/2013 at 12:44:22
I was a bit baffled by the original reports that he was a big doubt for the Wigan game. I mean, a severe gash is always going to take weeks to heal over, not days.

There's a little devil on my shoulder hoping that Heitinga sprains his ankle playing hopscotch so Duffy can come in. SD is good in the air – in the opposition box as well as ours – and though his general play isn't up to Johnny's standard, I don't get the feeling that he's an accident waiting to happen. Alas, that's precisely the feeling I have about Heitinga. The thing is, Wigan know that Kone bossed him the last time we met, so they will be targeting him. [Gulp.] I think we're going to have to score three to win our next game. The good news is that we've done just that in our last two home games!

Anichebe, Coleman and Mirallas, since you're asking...

Andy Meighan
10 Posted 05/03/2013 at 18:20:11
Right away I said that was a shithouse challenge. And he wasn't even going to book him until he realised the severity of it. I was speaking to a member of the medical staff on Sunday. And he said to me. Take no notice of le fondre trying to play it down. He meant it all right the slimy little fucker Typical of us to get a key player injured in that position when were a bit short on the ground there. I can't see him starting Duffy so it's obviously going to be heitinga. And we all know how the season has gone for him. Not confident at all
Dave Charles
11 Posted 05/03/2013 at 18:25:41
I hope he (Moyes) thinks about Heitinga, anyone who went to Wigan earlier in the season will remember him getting laced by their front men. Moyes took him off at half time.
Colin Glassar
12 Posted 05/03/2013 at 19:23:05
Knowing our physios he'll be out until next season. A plaster and some germoline is probably all they know what to do.
Peter Jones
13 Posted 05/03/2013 at 19:24:55
Heitinga is directly responsible for us conceding so many of the goals we've given up in the league recently. Just put in Duffy for Christ's sake. If you aren't playing well anywhere else in the Prem, you get dropped at least momentarily. But only at Everton do players that are in terrible form continue to play regardless of performance. Cue template formation, template selections, and a heart attack.
Brent Stephens
15 Posted 05/03/2013 at 19:44:37
Colin Glassar — "Knowing our physios, he'll be out until next season."

In the know are you, Colin?

Jeremy Benson
16 Posted 05/03/2013 at 19:48:08
Perhaps Colin can provide some evidence of his claim. After all, he say's "knowing...".

I would imagine Everton have suitably qualified and experienced physio's, and high quality in-depth medical backup, as befits a premiership club looking after their highly-paid players (some of whom may have their own medical backroom staff/preferred consultants probably!). I don't think todays professional players want for much.

James Morgan
17 Posted 05/03/2013 at 19:54:13
Martinez is apparently playing a weakened side in order to concentrate on the league, so if we can't win at home against a weakened relegation fodder side with only one key injury who is getting replaced by a Dutch international, then we should all pack up and go home. That includes you, Mr Moyes.
Mark Griffiths
18 Posted 05/03/2013 at 19:59:28
According to 5 live via the BBC live text on the Man Utd - Real Madrid game, the 'former' Everton manager is commentating tonight?! Do they know something we don't?
Ian Bennett
19 Posted 05/03/2013 at 20:10:34
What's the latest on Hibbo, he's been out for ages?
Lyndon Lloyd
20 Posted 05/03/2013 at 20:28:11
Ian, Moyes said before the Reading game that Hibbert won't be fit until the very end of the season, if he makes it in time at all.
Ian Bennett
21 Posted 05/03/2013 at 20:32:34
Cheers Lyndon.

Coleman looks to have got over his wobble, and really offers some thrust down the right. That said I'd happily have a fit hibbo for my bench.

Edward Simpson
22 Posted 05/03/2013 at 20:32:59
No one really knows whether Duffy is up for the game against Wigan or even good enough at the moment.

I trust Moyes in this situation if he does pick Heitinga which is more than likely.

Tom Bowers
23 Posted 05/03/2013 at 21:57:25
I think we are all pissed off by this injury and even more so that it went unpunished — much like when Ratboy did Mirallas. Why is it the officials are so incompetent or just plain have no guts?

Jags is a top class defender and covers the slower Distin many times but Heitinga has problems. This may force Gibson to play deeper or Coleman to stay back far more often which would weaken the offensive side of Everton's game.

The whole team needs to stay focused and disciplined over the next few weeks to keep the season from becoming another waste of time after promising so much early on.

Max Murphy
24 Posted 05/03/2013 at 22:29:06
DM stated in the Liverpool Echo on February 20th that he was willing to give Duffy a chance after Heitinga's poor run of form.

So back your words up with action, Moyes, and play Duffy on Saturday, otherwise .....
HEITINGA = CUP-EXIT

Steve Cotton
25 Posted 05/03/2013 at 23:01:03
Tom: spot on, lad, I bet rat boy stamping on an opponent's back and kicking an opponent's achilles in the recent Euro game won't even get looked into. You just know that if say Fellaini had gone in late on one of their centre halves, then he would have walked.

It's one rule for the rich clubs, etc....

James Stewart
26 Posted 06/03/2013 at 00:00:10
Sheitinga costs at least a goal a game so why not give Duffy a go; he can't be any worse — that's for sure.
Tony Cheek
27 Posted 06/03/2013 at 05:29:51
Duffy has no chance to play under, injurys prevailing, and if Howard gets picked week in week out after all his bloopers this season then Heitinga is nailed on!! We will beat Wigan anyway, but the PL games coming up are tough ones. More worried about them!
Paul Andrews
28 Posted 06/03/2013 at 06:19:33
Bearing in mind the current form of Heitinga and looking at what our neighbours did to Wigan last week. We should take the game to them straight away, no safety-first, "let's have a look at what they have got" football. It is almost certain Wigan will score at least one goal. We need to score first and keep pressing for the second — NOT score first and sit in.
Kev Johnson
29 Posted 06/03/2013 at 11:19:31
Good call, Paul. I'm not sure we have the type of player to swiftly wreck the Wigan defense in the way The Other Lot did last week, but it's worth a try.

However, I can't see DM casting caution to the wind, early doors. He'll probably be thinking 'Yeah, but if we really go for it then we leave holes at the back - and I'd rather be 0-0 after 20 minutes than 0-1' He might even be right, in so far as pushing up might leave us vulnerable to a Heitinga vs Kone race. But sometimes you have to take the risk. The best form of defense is attack, and all that.

Andrew Ellams
30 Posted 06/03/2013 at 11:37:58
Wigan play 3 at the back with no full backs. If our wide players put in a shift like they did against Reading then surely we will create enough chances to win comfortably, won't we.......
James Martin
31 Posted 06/03/2013 at 11:59:18
If our defense stopped playing the highest line in the league against everyone, then Heitinga wouldn't have any problems against the likes of Kone (it helps as well that he'll be back on his preferred side).

Although Moyes gets panned for all this sitting deep stuff at times, even at Old Trafford the backline were ridiculously high. With both fullbacks now bombing off seemingly without concern, it's not a surprise that one even averagely accurate boot over the top can let in any quick striker.

If the defense sat back a bit the game would stretch and we could use our passing to kill Wigan off rather than everyone being on top of each other in the middle and being susceptible to the counter whenever we lose it.

Kev Johnson
32 Posted 06/03/2013 at 11:52:56
You'd have thought so, Andrew, but it's probably not that simple, otherwise all of their opponents would do it. I'm looking forward to what The Executioner's Bong has to say about this issue - that site always offers intelligent insight into tactics.

Maybe the idea behind a 3-4-3 is that the three forwards press forward, and the four in midfield block the wide positions, stopping the full backs from advancing?

Much as I have grown to dislike Neville, I have to admit there is some truth in his admirers' point that he moves across and covers Coleman pretty well, allowing SC and KM to attack. In a sense, he is less of a defensive midfielder than an anchor man – almost a midfieldive defender! Whereas Fellaini and Gibson are, in their different ways deep midfielders, so less likely to cover. It made me feel a bit sick to credit Neville there, but in all fairness it had to be done...

"Midfieldive"? Get the Oxford English Dictionary on the blower – I've just made up a new word!

Roberto Birquet
33 Posted 06/03/2013 at 12:03:46
Heavens – even a victory may have derailed our chances of a successful season. That for me would be winning the Cup now, or at least make 5th in the Prem. The latter may not be enough to keep Moyes.

The use of Heitinga is a real concern, especially against teams we spend most times attacking and he needs to fucking stay awake, and get some speed into his arse. Him instead of Jags would seem to mean one extra goal against per game, so Jela has to get back to last year's form immediately.

And I agree with those saying Gibson will have to play deeper if Heitinga is to stay in the team. A more cautious approach for the next three weeks, just when we have so many home games – bullshit!

Tom Bowers
34 Posted 06/03/2013 at 21:23:37
Without Jags we may be vulnerable at the back and it goes without saying that Everton need to come out the blocks quickly and assert themselves before Wigan get settled and begin to think they have chance of snatching it.

They are a very unpredictable team and you just know they won't rollover lime they did last week but Everton just have to show them who's boss early and hope there are no stupid mistakes at the back to let in Kone.

Heitinga needs this game as a confidence booster.

Tom Bowers
36 Posted 07/03/2013 at 13:33:38
Everton's offence has been dismal for some time especially compared to many other top teams and Jela's woes are a big part of it. Mirallas returning to the squad with full fitness has been compensation somewhat in recent games but because DM has nobody to really step in for Jela (and that includes Big Vic and sadly out of favor Vellios) he has persisted with Jela.

Other managers may have given Vellios a run out by now but not DM and so it comes down to Moyes's stubbornness with team selection that makes the team struggle for goals.

Perhaps Vellios just isn't good enough and wouldn't make a difference but surely it can't be any worse and the same can be said for some of the other bench-warmers.

I fear that things will never change whilst Moyes is around which is frustrating for all us fans. In recent seasons, only cup runs and staying in touch with the top 6 has somehow preserved Moyes's credibility.

Mick Everett
37 Posted 08/03/2013 at 03:47:07
I'm afraid Johnny Ballwatcher has had his chance (long term). He'll be on his way shortly. Never lived up to his own hype. To be fair, he did play in that World Cup Final but he was a class behind. Just goes to show if your half decent and a massive bullshitter with an ego to match you can find yourself in places you should never have been in. He's lucky when he gets a game for us. His eyes are stuck to the ball. Johnny Ballwatcher. Hypnotised to the ball. An average player at best.
Frida Ericsson
38 Posted 09/03/2013 at 10:06:23
If wigan park the bus, it's going to be a very difficult afternoon breaking them down and as been seen against sides who do this, we never have an answer to it. Tactics are going to be a massive part of our play today, and that worries me.

Put Duffy into defense. Johnny can find redemption at another club, the man is a huge liability to us, and i'd never trust him again to wear a blue shirt. Quite why we never got rid of him in January eludes me. I wouldn't even have him on the bench. Simply not good enough. I do not care about his form last season, what matters is now, and he is not good enough and too big a liability.

We should go into this 4-4-2, and show intent to win it from the off. Wigan will concede goals, and if we throw someone alongside jelavic, who knows, maybe he will score again.

We cannot go into this game saftey first, first kick of the ball until the last, we need to be all over them, harrassing them, making them make mistakes, score goals. You can apply that to the rest of the games this season...go out there with desire and determination and we can give anyone a game.

I still kind of feel worried about this game though. The mentality of this manager is the undoing of this team. He won't let them express themselves...letting them do just that, might just surprise us...but for god's sake keep the ball on the ground and no hoofball.wigan are a decent passing team.

I just got an awful feeling this has draw all over it today..unless we go out all guns blazing and keep that up all match, and tactically we can break down their defence, if not its a long painful afternoon.

I just want Moyes gone, enough is enough.

Frida Ericsson
39 Posted 09/03/2013 at 10:20:53
Mirallas is supposed to be a striker, why not try playing him up top, he has shown recently he has goals in him, tell him to stick to the box and feed him, get coleman on the right wing, pienaar on the left. Mirallas and Jelavic might have a chance of working, and sit Fellaini deeper back into midfield. He always has he back to goal for some strange reason, when he recieves the ball, and never tries to play it through, instead he takes the shot himself.
Whats the point of playing a striker, when fellaini seems incapable of playing through balls or passes to them due to the way he plays. Move him back and give the strikers a chance.

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