Everton attacker Dwight McNeil likely had a cartilage injury issue in his knee for which he required surgery, according to Dr Rajpal Brar.
The injury expert claims that a methodical rehab will now be key for the Englishman to ensure he does not face any further setbacks.
The 25-year-old is yet to play a game in the new year, with his last apperance coming in the 4-0 win against Wolves back in December.
Dwight McNeil expected to be out of Everton training until mid March
It’s understood that the former Burnley ace is not expected to return to action in the month of February.
Having had a surgery, it’s going to take him a lot longer to recover but he is expected back before the end of the season.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News, Dr Brar, a specialist in Physical Therapy and Sports Scientist, said about McNeil: “Based on the series of events with Dwight having mild but persistent knee issues for a month or so prior to the surgery, my best guess is that he had some cartilage issue like a meniscus or loose cartilage in the joint -a loose body – that was causing irritation and needed to be addressed.
“The key for him will be a methodical rehab and return to play program to avoid re-injury risks.
“I’m unsure of the exact timeline because it really depends on the surgery specifics which we don’t have but he’s unlikely to return to full training until mid-March.“
David Moyes will certainly be missing Dwight McNeil’s influence in the final third
McNeil has been an important players for the Toffees and David Moyes will certainly be missing him in the final third.
He started off as a left winger, but found a lot of success playing in the number 10 role with Iliman Ndiaye on the left.
| Stat (all competitions) | Dwight McNeil |
| Games played | 15 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Pass accuracy | 80.7% |
Given Dr Brar’s assessment, the English attacker is not expected in full training by March, so it may take him a few weeks after that before he’s ready to start matches.
Hopefully, there are no more complications with his rehab and he can soon return to some kind of individual training.
