Everton boss David Moyes has revealed Dwight McNeil may need surgery to clear up his knee problem.
McNeil has been out since December 4 and felt pain when he tried to train on the grass at Everton’s Finch Farm HQ. Everton are sending the winger, who has four goals and three assists for the Blues, to his specialist and they are worried he may need an operation.
Moyes says he cannot put a timescale on his return, but admits he could be out until March if he has surgery. “I’ve got a little bit of an update,” said the Everton boss at his press conference on Friday.
“It looks like Dwight is probably going to have to have some surgery on his knee. Today he’s tried, so it looks like we’re going to have to get him back to the specialist.
“I’m saying surgery, the specialist might decide something else, but he’s going to go back to see the specialist again. It’s a real blow because we need him back for things like deliveries and set-plays but for his general play. By all accounts, he’s performed really well and not to have him is a big blow.
David Moyes has confirmed the injury blow for Everton
David Moyes has confirmed the injury blow for Everton (
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CameraSport via Getty Images)
“I was only told this about half-an-hour before I came into the press conference. He was out this morning on the grass trying to get going and didn’t feel right. They were always saying if he didn’t come through today, we’d take him back to the specialist.
“If you get opened up, I don’t think people come back quicker than four to six weeks if they get opened up. My general feeling is that they don’t feel it’s something so bad, it’s not like he has got a cruciate or anything like that. Hopefully, he’ll be OK.”
Surgery on McNeil is the last thing Moyes needs as he tries to keep Everton up and he will celebrate a milestone when he takes charge of his 700th Premier League game at Brighton on Saturday. Only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have clocked up more games than him and he is chuffed by his achievement.
“It’s incredible really,” he said. “When you start out, I don’t think you ever believe it’ll come. “You’re maybe never going to become a Premier League manager, but to get 700 games behind me now, it’s a fair achievement so I’m very pleased.
“There are two great managers ahead of me in Arsene and Alex, but I don’t think I’ll be making their numbers, that’s for sure.”
