Baines has surgery on problem ankle

ItÂ’s no wonder Garbutt doesnÂ’t see his future at Goodison if he canÂ’t keep a less than 100% fit Baines out of the team. LetÂ’s hope Leighton makes a complete recovery and is back to full fitness for the start of the next campaign, he will be like a new signing.

Still, always look on the bright side, with nothing bar pride and a couple of million in placing bonuses we can afford to give Baines time to get himself right. Fit and on form he is one of the most productive players at the club

"Behind the scenes Baines had been coping and playing with this issue for more than 18 months.

"He is tough as old boots and because it has been an matter of persistent pain rather than being unable to run full stop, so heÂ’s soldiered on, putting his body on the line and the team before himself.

"Blues will know Leighton hasnÂ’t been quite at his usual levels of excellence this season, and perhaps the issue was coming to a head. He wouldnÂ’t complain publicly about it but the manager has given us an insight into the type of discomfort he was having especially during the Sunderland game.

"IÂ’ve seen him walk gingerly around the tunnel after games with his ankle heavily strapped and hear suggestions heÂ’s had to have pain killing jabs to play.

"But now it seems itÂ’s come to a head and at least he will be out at a point when the games wonÂ’t make much difference to our fortunes. Hopefully the problem will be fixed and Baines can come back and resume his normal superb standards in time for pre-season."

I just donÂ’t understand this approach. Surely pain is a sign of there being a problem. If it doesnÂ’t improve by itself, but in fact gets worse, doesnÂ’t it make more sense to act earlier rather than later? Before more and more damage is done?

No, letÂ’s have him "play through the pain", even though his game (previously top-notch) has gone to shit in the process... and no doubt been a major factor in an utterly crap season overall.

Not to mention Garbutt. Makes the whole sad and sorry business a complete nonsense.

This is either bullshit or this club has become a joke.

NSNO my arse.

This is an example of gross mismanagement and sadly not new. In OssieÂ’s autobiography, he often referred to matches where he was not fit to play and had pain-killing injections to get through them. This, I would suggest, is one of the reasons why Ossie has been so inconsistent over the years. One day fantastic, the next, looking as if he cannot run at all and why opinion on hims has been so divided on here.

If we look at this from a business perspective. We have an asset in Baines, for whom, less than two years back, an offer of 㾸M was considered derisory, as he was playing so well. The management depreciate this asset considerably by using pain-killing injections, to such an extent that I would not expect any 㾸M bids anytime soon, as he has been less than stellar this season. If this was a business, such misuse of an asset would be considered a sackable offence.

From a health and safety perspective, playing with pain-killing injections is wrong. Should taking such substances before a game be banned by the Anti Doping Agency?

Can a player who knows he has a sore and injured ankle be relied upon to put his foot out to block a cross or to put his foot into a hard tackle, as would rightly be expected by fans such as Peter, who shell out money for season tickets??? I would think not.

The fact that we have a reliable deputy in Garbutt makes the whole situation worse.

Geoff, I think Garbutt has been offered contracts but is waiting for assurances on playing time, so the club canÂ’t be blamed on that. However, if I were Luke and watching our esteemed manager preferring to give a player pain-killers to play in my place and not that well at that, I would wait to see all offers before signing a new contract.

I agree with your sentiments but since the year dot footballers have played with injuries. This is common practice among all the clubs.

Jimmy Gabriel's sister told me he hated Harry Catterick because he was notorious for telling them to get out and play even with injuries.

As regards pain-killing injections, they are hardly performance enhancing but I get your point.

For me, it is refreshing to see someone like Leighton dedicated to his job as opposed to some of the overpaid prima donnas who cry off with a scratch.

I have heard stories in the past where managers wouldnÂ’t even talk to players who had injuries as they considered them non-contributing malingerers. It depends on the seriousness of the injury as to whether a player is to be admired for commitment or chastised for stupidity I suppose. Surgery sounds serious to me.

I also like the way Martinez wonÂ’t commit himself to playing Garbutt at this moment, which is fine. We have a few others in that area. We could consider Phil Jagielka in goal as well and that way we could play with a rush-back goalie.

Unfortunately our dear manager refuses to be clear about the possible inclusion of Garbutt this Saturday. Why all the secrecy? it isnÂ’t the bloody Cup Final.

One wonders why this injury as been allowed to go on so long, with Garbutt and Oviedo on the books. it is worth bearing in mind next time we have a go at certain players, in that they could be carrying a long-term problem. Barry was crocked a while back and was below par for weeks, and Lukaku had his toe problem early in the season.

Perhaps Alcaraz has had injections in his brain before games!

Blaming the manager is not on and it seems that the hate brigade are only too quick to have a go at him for everything that appears in print.

If he has the chance of a decent move, he should take the plunge. No blame attaches to Martinez.

Firstly, why play an unfit player and undermine both him and the next in line?

Secondly, why hold back the opportunity of Garbut who has looked really good and Oviedo as well, and then announce to everyone the complete arse-about-face logic and make everyone look stupid?

Thirdly There is something seriously wrong with how Roberto sees the world and I believe there is a fancy long-winded medical term for it. I just canÂ’t believe the blinding stupidity of the man. Get rid now!

Oviedo seemingly canÂ’t get healthy - understandable however it is.

YouÂ’d think theyÂ’d be chomping at the bit to sign Garbutt?!

Future scenario: Garbutt leaves, Baines ginger on the ankle, Oviedo isnÂ’t up to snuff heÂ’s been out so long or he gets injured again (he seems a risk at this point).

WeÂ’ll be crying out for a left back and we will have let one of the best, most promising young left backs go elsewhere.

Not good.

Pienaar, the left sided midfielder is well over the hill and injury prone. A potential solution: move Baines into a midfield role and get Garbutt playing regularly at left back.

Baines has the record assists for a Premier League full back, can score more goals than Pienaar, understands what protection Garbutt needs on the left!

Baines can tackle, can go past people and didn't OFM or RM want to convert him into a Philip Lamm!

I might be talking out of my arse here, but I seem to remember that Gareth Bale started life as a left back! What happened to him?

This could be a great inspiring challenge for Baines!