Cahill To Miss Kick-Off
Everton have confirmed that Tim Cahill will miss the start of the season as he continues his rehabilitation for a foot injury sustained at the tail-end of last term.
Cahill had surgery in Australia at the end of the season to address a metatarsal injury and the midfielder will apparently fly back to have “a last check” in pre-season. No return date is offered by the club but you can probably rule out the first month of the season at least.
There was better news elsewhere on the injury front at Goodison however as Mikel Arteta is said to have “an outside chance” of making a return to action in a friendly at Cambridge at the weekend. The Spanish playmaker has resumed training after stomach surgery at the end of last season. Baines and Hibbert have also had summer surgery on ankle and knee injuries respectively and, although Baines is reportedly ahead of schedule, Moyes is treating both players with kid gloves as the season nears.
Everton are certainly looking thin on the ground in midfield as the season approaches. The absence of Cahill and the departure of Carsley and Fernandes means that there will be pressure on Arteta to get fit and provide a spark that was sadly missing last season.
Osman, Pienaar and Neville meanwhile, look odds on for midfield roles, particularly in the opening games while Cahill recovers. Interestingly skipper Neville is classed as a defender across many of the fantasy games this season and with Everton’s rather kind opening fixtures, he looks a good bet. While I can’t see Moyes’ men having the creativity to go goal crazy, I can certainly see them keeping things tight at the back over the first 5 games.
Looks like Downing has to go back in my team for now then
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Still trying to work out if the absence of Cahill offers opportunities for other Everton players or if it nullifies them as an attacking threat and so best to look elsewhere.
Given their lack of midfielders, it could mean a 4-4-2 formation and so maybe Andy Johnson at 7.0m is value, but to me Everton are twice the team when Cahill plays off one forward.
Their first five fixtures do look tempting though!
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Reply by Verbal on July 18, 2008 10:04 am:
It’s uncertain as to whether Johnson will be there next season, Wigan seem very keen. Osman could well benifit and if the Yak can put a run together he can pull in a few points.
I think someone who could well benifit at the other end would be Baines. Neville and/or Jagielka could well be pushed up into midfield with Yobo and Lescott in the middle leaving the left back spot free for Baines. With Evertons fixtures you’d expect maybe 3 clean sheets in the first 5 gamesweeks and Baines gets up the wing well threatening assists.
That said, I could be way off…..
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Reply by Phil Pino on July 18, 2008 10:23 am:
Big time agree with you Verbal. I’m a fan of Baines and always seemed to get bonus points from the FPL when he did play. If he stays fit and can get in the team then i’d back him to do well.
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I have selected Baines as i think he represents better value than 7.0M for Lescott this season who is priced on what he did last year. Baines is likely to feature more heavily this season. The one worrying thing for me is the rumour Everton are chasing Pascal Chimbonda…Does he play lb or rb??? I can’t see them pushing Neville into midfield and i think Yobo and Jags might rotate in the middle…Any Baines in for me as i think he has plenty of upside
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Wait, don’t I remember reading reports saying that Baines is also struggling to be ready for the start of the season?
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has neville ever been pushed into the middle before??
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P Neville will be playing in midfield this season .
So there is a chance of some assists or maybe even a goal or two .
Stick the YAK in your team he`s gonna bag a load of points early on .
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