Seasons » 2015-16 » Everton News
Besic to miss opener against Watford

Gibson and McGeady could return by end of August
Muhamed Besic has been ruled out of the first match of the new Premier League season with the hamstring injury he picked up prior to Everton's trip to Singapore.The Bosnian is expected to be back in action before the end of August, however, a similar timescale to Aiden McGeady and Darron Gibson. McGeady was also a casualty of the Blues' hamstring curse when he picked up a soft-tissue injury on international duty earlier in the summer, while Gibson is reaching the end of his recovery from a fractured metatarsal.
Roberto Martinez expects both players to be ready around the end of next month but admitted in an update on evertonfc.com that the club's medical staff need more time to assess Tony Hibbert.
The veteran spent much of last season on the sidelines though injury and he picked up a fresh complaint in the Asia Trophy a fortnight ago.
"Mo ... is recovering really, really well," the manager said. "He is a player with a lot of power and a player who I expect to be fit just after the start of the campaign. I think he will miss the opening game but after that he will be close to a return.
“Aiden was carrying the little hamstring problem that affected him from the international game... We are quite confident that in the next two to three weeks he will show a good reaction to the treatment he’s been having.
“Those players, plus Darron Gibson have progressed well and I think they will be there or thereabouts by the end of August.
"Tony... will be out a little bit longer, I think we will have a better idea once the start of the season gets under way - probably Tony will be out for a few weeks still.”
Reader Comments (28)
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4 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:34:17
While I appreciate that the modern game is about athleticism and control, I have noted that we seem to sustain more of these injuries than any other of our opponents. Or is it that My imagination?
5 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:35:47
6 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:38:40
Dear Bobby... look deeper.
7 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:39:15
8 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:46:28
As for Hibbert, it seems the club don't bother telling us what's wrong with Tony any more. He's just "out".
I suppose they're could be worse (better) players out.
11 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:07:54
12 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:24:20
For me, if we keep McCarthy – something if we don't I will be massively unhappy about – then we have to play McCarthy, Besic and Barkley often. Those 3 with Lukaku, Del Boy and Kev or Cleverley would be excellent. So young the 3 of them a swell.
If they can gel, which I think they would superbly, in 3 years time we could have the most envied midfield 3 in the league. Strong, neat and dynamic. Plus, we need to toughen up this year, the idea we were anywhere near the Fair Play award is embarrassing. Rom was a beast in first season but him and the whole team got bullied a lot last year. Soft manager = soft team.
13 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:24:27
16 Posted 30/07/2015 at 20:12:36
I'm no medic or physio but I'm afraid McGeady has become a waste of a salary (now seems to be injury-prone as well as a very inconsistent performer) and the stats say Gibbo and Hibbo are of no practicable use to the team/squad - the latter has been a great servant to the club, but age etc has caught up with him, and the former should never have been signed (had a shocking record at OT).
17 Posted 30/07/2015 at 21:05:53
For the past 5 seasons, Hibbo's played a game or two then missed the rest of the season, and we're still paying him wages!
18 Posted 30/07/2015 at 21:06:05
19 Posted 30/07/2015 at 21:15:33
20 Posted 30/07/2015 at 21:19:58
Gibson was worth a punt. If he was always fit, he'd still be at Man Utd. He's one of the best passers of the ball that I've seen at this place for a long time and has still got one hell of a strike on him.
If he can string 10 consecutive games together this season, he'll be well worth having on the books.
22 Posted 30/07/2015 at 21:27:27
Grealish
Bolasie
Delph
Gomis
We are doing something wrong, or not doing something right. Our players can't be that more fragile than every other player.
25 Posted 30/07/2015 at 22:39:36
27 Posted 30/07/2015 at 23:44:13
Reidy & Andy Gray had their problems, but their career stats were pretty good -- ironically, as an aside you're probably aware of, Reidy's problems started with a collision with our own George Wood in the snow at Burnden Park one New Year's Day!
Regarding signing crocks, why on earth did Moyes ever waste money late on and bring McFadden back? This club isn't well off enough to gamble contracts on non-participants.
28 Posted 30/07/2015 at 23:55:56
pretty much bang on according to this injury site for Premier league.
We also have more injuries than any other team.
29 Posted 30/07/2015 at 23:59:58
Andrew is right: rather than issuing "bulletins", there should be statements regarding how some have been moved on from the club in whatever way satisfies legal requirements etc.
Bulletins about Gibson and Hibbert? Nothing personal against either, for my only relationship with them, just like 99.99% of supporters, is as a player on the pitch. While the latter has been a dependable asset to the club over many years, his days are now just about finished at the so-called top level and someone should call a stop to it.
And I am afraid the former is now so identified with being unfit for duty, both to his present employers and to previous employers, that it is impossible to take his employment seriously. So infrequent have been his appearances that two or three decent passes during those appearances are now seemingly elevated to the status of match-winning performances and claims of his prowess at striking of a football are simply based on reports of his early promise at Man Utd for there have been pitifully few examples of it during his paltry number of appearances at the club.
Of course, such has been the decline in the status and strength of Everton during the last 30 years that we have had to take chances on players in the hope that they will come good but let us at least keep some semblance of balance here.
Of course, the manager is going to put his usual over indulgent gloss on things; he seems to have no other option nor apparently able to stop himself, but supporters of long standing, who have seen truly fine players at this club do not want to patronised by the management into thinking that we are all truly waiting with baited breath for the return of these "truly important players who we are longing to see practice their arts". After all they not exactly a Parker, T Wright, Wilson, Collins, Vernon, Young, Ball, Harvey, Kendall etc.
Rather than this sorry saga continuing, with increasingly nonsensical utterances from management, it would be refreshing to hear that they have been moved on and some young lads given the chance to actually get on the pitch.
32 Posted 31/07/2015 at 01:45:23
33 Posted 31/07/2015 at 03:35:07
Well how did we sign Gibson and Saha? Weren't they both injured when we bought them? Or should I just say Man Utd cast-offs?
34 Posted 31/07/2015 at 08:00:37
If Sean Dyche or Mourinho managed Everton we wouldn't have these hamstring problems. That is a fact.
35 Posted 31/07/2015 at 08:44:34
According to RM, he had heavy legs; what odds on him playing in either of the weekend's games? The club will know by now the extent of his injury but, if it's bad news, it will heap pressure on the powers that be to get players in and that is not the way they work.
36 Posted 31/07/2015 at 08:48:36
37 Posted 31/07/2015 at 12:42:48
"I don't believe in soft-tissue injuries. If you get a soft-tissue injury in football, a mistake has been made. It could be the training programme, a lifestyle problem. Whatever it is, it will be a mistake."
Quite ironic really considering that since July 2013 we have had over 25 hamstring injuries. And 4 hamstring injuries in this pre season alone. It surely is no mere coincidence. In fact considering that our manager has a degree in physiotherapy and has some knowledge and expertise in that field, this is an embarrassment.
It must be his training methods surely. Plus the fact that he got rid of most of the medical department last season as well can't have helped.
Didn't he get rid of Danny Donachie the head of medicine last season as well who had been at the club since the beginning of the Moyes era?
39 Posted 31/07/2015 at 14:05:09
41 Posted 31/07/2015 at 20:33:14
I'd get in an idependent medical/fitness team to take a detailed look at the training and medical practices to see if we can improve.
45 Posted 02/08/2015 at 21:19:00
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3 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:33:51