Everton’s bid to arrest an alarming run of poor form has been hit by an injury to goalkeeper Tim Howard ahead of today’s trip to Hull City in the English Premier League.
Howard faces up to six weeks out of the game after damaging his calf in the 1-0 Boxing Day defeat by Stoke City, leaving Everton with only 24-year-old Joel Robles — who has made only 11 top-flight starts — as backup.
Aside from the Spaniard, the only other goalkeepers on Everton’s books are 18-year-olds Jindrich Stanek and Russell Griffiths, and manager Roberto Martinez has hinted the club may be forced to bring in reinforcements.
“That is something we are going to assess,” Martinez said. “Joel had his first start in the league and that was a great way of him having an introduction. We’ve just found out about Tim, so we’re going to make a decision. We only have Russell and Jindrich, so we need to assess that over the next few days.”
Christmas defeats against Stoke and Newcastle United have left Everton on a run of six defeats from their past eight games in all competitions and with just one victory from their past seven league matches.
The visit to Hull presents an opportunity to rectify that run, although Everton’s injury problems extend beyond the goalkeeper position.
England defenders Phil Jagielka and John Stones are expected to be missing with ankle injuries, while fullback Tony Hibbert is two weeks from match fitness.
Leon Osman, another potential defensive stand-in, has a split tendon in his foot, with no return date currently scheduled, while midfielders Darron Gibson and Steven Pienaar also remain on the long-term injured list.
There is even a doubt over the fitness of influential midfielder James McCarthy.
“At the moment, we’re a little bit weak and we need to get stronger,” Martinez said. “When you don’t get results, you are going to get a lot of doubts and a lot of opinions from outside. Now our focus has to be very narrow, on a positive performance and result from the Hull game.”
Hull’s preparations for the match have been carried out amid speculation surrounding their manager, Steve Bruce.
Bruce has been linked with a move to take over as manager of Newcastle United, with Alan Pardew expected to be named Crystal Palace manager.
Bruce, who turned 54 yesterday, supported Newcastle as a boy and has previously expressed regret at rejecting the chance to manage the club in 2004, but his immediate priority is to lift his current team’s morale after their defeat against Leicester City on Sunday.
The Tigers had ended a run of 10 matches without a win by beating Sunderland 3-1 on Boxing Day, but were brought back down to Earth at the KC Stadium as Leicester snatched a 1-0 victory.
“They are deflated,” said Bruce, whose side have won only once at home this season. “If you get beaten and deserve to, then fine, but when you don’t deserve it, of course it leaves a bad taste.”
“For all the good work at Sunderland, it has unraveled a bit,” he added. “That is the way this league works and we have to stay with it. We have a big game on Thursday [today] and we go again.”
Bruce is without midfielders Tom Huddlestone and Stephen Quinn, who are both suspended, but defender James Chester will return having served a one-match ban.
Andy Robertson could also return after suffering with a knee problem, but Mohamed Diame and Michael Dawson remain sidelined.
Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion are set to name former Stoke City and Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis as their manager, British media reports said yesterday.
The 56-year-old Pulis is to replace Alan Irvine who was sacked on Monday following a run of seven defeats in nine games.
The BBC reported that the Pulis move is likely to be confirmed today and he will be in the stands at Upton Park for West Brom’s New Year’s Day Premier League visit to West Ham United.
Pulis managed Stoke from 2006 to last year before joining Palace and he guided the south London club to 11th place in the top flight in his one season in charge.
He quit the job two days before the start of this season amid reports of a falling out with Palace co-chairman Steve Parish.
West Brom are 16th in the 20-team standings, one point above the relegation zone.
Elsewhere, Eden Hazard is on course to becoming one of the world’s top players, according to Chelsea teammate Filipe Luis, as the Blues travel to White Hart Lane.
Left back Luis believes winger Hazard will be one of the key figures as the Blues attempt to extend their 10-game unbeaten run against their London rivals.
“Eden Hazard can easily win a game for you and open a closed defense, and he can be in the top three in the world in the next few years, because he has a lot of quality and ambition to be there,” Luis said. “I am really happy to be his teammate, because he is one of the greatest players I have played with.”
Chelsea remain three points clear despite dropping points at St Mary’s Stadium thanks to Manchester City’s unexpected failure to beat struggling Burnley at home in a 2-2 draw.
Luis believes there were enough signs in the performance at Southampton to suggest the Blues can continue to fend off all challengers during the second half of the campaign.
“We know that we lost two points in a difficult stadium, but the team did really well in the second half, and if we play like we did in the second half we can be in this situation until the end and keep going at the top of the league,” he told the club’s official Web site.
“It is going to be really difficult because when you are top, everybody wants to take you off there and play like Southampton did, because they played really well, but we did enough to win this game,” he added.
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