everton injury's on the mend

[SEFTON]

David Moyes has received further respite from Everton's long-term casualty list with Mikel Arteta on course to return from a serious knee injury next month. The influential Spanish midfielder has been out since February when he ruptured a cruciate ligament at Newcastle United, where Victor Anichebe also damaged his knee in a dreadful challenge by Kevin Nolan. Everton finished last season without Arteta, Yakubu Ayegbeni, Anichebe and their player of the year Phil Jagielka due to long-term injury.

Arteta's creativity continues to be missed by Everton but Moyes, who now has Yakubu edging towards a first-team return, has revealed the 27-year-old could be back in contention within weeks. The Everton manager said: "Mikel's doing well and there's a chance that he can join in with the other boys in maybe a week or two, but he will need reserve games before we can call on him."

The Nigerian striker Yakubu is further ahead in his recovery from a ruptured achilles tendon, sustained at Tottenham Hotspur last November, having scored within 30 seconds of his comeback for the reserves and made a 15-minute substitute appearance against Sigma Olomouc in the Europa League qualifier. Moyes, however, is preaching understandable caution with his £11.25m signing.

The Everton manager added: "Yak's been out for nine months and he will have to get a lot of training and a lot of football under his belt before we feel he's ready to start Premier League matches again. He played 45 minutes for the reserves again this week but felt his hip and his back tighten up so we had to take him off. We have to understand that he has been out for a long time."

Moyes, meanwhile, has denied claims from Niko Kranjcar that Everton attempted to hijack his move from Portsmouth to White Hart Lane on transfer deadline day, and that he rejected interest from Goodison Park to be reunited with Harry Redknapp. Everton last week spent £9m on the Russian international Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, a left-footed midfield player like Kranjcar, and Moyes is mystified at the claims that appeared in an interview Kranjcar gave to a Croatian newspaper.

"Not at any point did anyone from the club contact Portsmouth to express an interest in Niko Kranjcar," insisted the Everton manager. "In Steven Pienaar and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov we already have players who provide excellent cover in his chosen position."