Everton manager David Moyes revealed Merlin Rohl has undergone an operation and talked the January transfer window and speculation surrounding James Garner
David Moyes speaks at his Everton press conference to preview the trip to his former club Manchester United
David Moyes speaks at his Everton press conference to preview the trip to his former club Manchester United
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Everton manager David Moyes has confirmed that summer signing Merlin Rohl is set for a spell on the sidelines. The midfielder, who joined on a season-long loan from Freiburg on transfer deadline day, has undergone an operation on a hernia injury.
He becomes the third Everton player to go under the knife recently after defenders Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson.
Rohl has impressed Moyes in training at Finch Farm and has made four encouraging performances off the bench. But he will miss Monday's trip to Manchester United and be out for a "few weeks."
The Blues boss said at his press conference today: "Unfortunately, Merlin had an operation a week last Monday on his hernia. It's going to keep him out for a few weeks.
"Hopefully by the time we get around to December, he'll be fit and ready to go again."
That will be timely as it is around then that Everton will lose fellow midfielders Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye to the Africa Cup of Nations, where they will represent Senegal.
The duo could miss large parts of the December and January fixture programme depending on Senegal's progress and Moyes has admitted that the Blues are looking to the transfer market for reinforcements.
But he played down talk of spending upwards of £60m on former Man United midfielder Scott McTominay, who was named the Serie A MVP in his debut campaign at Napoli and who was one of the heroes of Scotland's dramatic qualification for the World Cup over the international break.
Moyes, who doesn't exactly know when he will lose Ndiaye and Gueye, said: "The reality is I would never talk about other players but if you're talking about £60m, I don't think we're quite at that level yet.
"We're working towards it, we're trying to build ourselves back up, and get on solid ground again.
"We've done that with the new owners, new stadium and staying up last year, but we have to make sure we go steady. I don't think we'll be shooting for the stars straight away.
"That's not to say it might not happen, but my gut feeling is that it's not a market we'll be in."
On his plans for January, Moyes continued: "You do most of your buying in the summer but that's not to say we wouldn't try to add to the squad in January. We may do so this window but I think everybody knows January is not a good window.
"But there's been some good players brought in January and we'll look to do the same."
Moyes added that the reception afforded to Thierno Barry from Blues fans after the win over Fulham before the international break has boosted the striker's confidence and that club captain Seamus Coleman is pushing hard for a place in his starting line-up after he helped Republic of Ireland reach the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
And on transfer speculation surrounding key midfielder James Garner, who is in the final year of his contract, Moyes: "I have no intention of letting him go. I don't know where the news comes from, but if I told you the phone had been ringing about Jimmy Garner, I'd be telling you absolute lies.
"There's been no phone calls in my phone or anybody in the club that I know of about Jimmy Garner. We'll obviously look to renew Jimmy's contract when we're ready to do so."