Everton's Jack Rodwell ruled out with ankle injury
Rodwell was reportedly a target for Manchester United during the summer
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell has been ruled out for up to three months because of an ankle injury.
He suffered ligament damage against Aston Villa last month but swelling around the joint delayed the diagnosis.
"He's out for two to three months. A surgeon checked it and he doesn't need surgery," manager David Moyes said.
The 19-year-old had been tipped to win full England recognition this season as boss Fabio Capello looks to rebuild following a disappointing World Cup.
But he is now unlikely to return before the visit to Manchester City on 18 December, ruling him out for at least 15 matches, plus the England Under21s' European Championship qualification play-off.
However, Moyes was relieved that the injury was not as serious as the one suffered by Marouane Fellaini last February, the midfielder missing six months after undergoing surgery to repair his ankle ligament.
"We worried it was similar to Fellaini but thankfully it wasn't," said the Scot.
"Jack's got plenty of time, he'll come through, it's just disappointing to have lost such a good player."
A product of Everton's youth academy, Rodwell signed a five-year contract extension in May.
He made 36 club appearances in a breakthrough campaign last season and had been tipped to establish himself as a regular at the heart of Everton's midfield this season.
Rodwell's injury is a further blow for Moyes, who is already without injured strikers Victor Anichebe and Yakubu Ayegbeni, while James Vaughan is on loan at Crystal Palace.
To compound Everton's problems, Louis Saha could miss the chance to face former club Manchester United on Saturday as he is struggling with a calf injury picked up while on international duty with France.
~RS~a~RS~International~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~57~RS~){kind=small}
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~57~RS~)
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Bookmark with:
What are these?