Everton’s Rodwell out for three months

Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will be out of action for up to three months with an ankle injury.

The 19-year-old was injured in a tackle with Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock in Everton’s 1-0 defeat at Villa Park on August 29 and scans have showed it will be December before he is back in action.

Rodwell was withdrawn from England’s recent Under-21 squad while Everton waited to discover the extent of the problem and, although he won’t need surgery, Toffees boss David Moyes now has to plan without his most gifted young player.

“I thought when he went over it was a twisted ankle and he’d maybe be out for a week, if at all but he got scanned and we knew there was a problem,” Moyes said on Friday.

“They think it doesn’t need surgery but unfortunately he is going to be out for two to three months.”