Friday, 21st March, 2014
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed that Steven Pienaar is out of his side’s Premier League game against Swansea City tomorrow, while stating that Phil Jagielka has a “50/50” chance of featuring in the fixture.
It is touch-and-go for Jagielka, who is recovering from a hamstring injury and has missed the Toffees’ last three outings.
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But Pienaar is sure to miss the Swansea game at Goodison Park as Martinez revealed that the South African is expected to be out of action for two to three weeks after suffering a cartilage problem.
However, Martinez, who explained that he is hopeful about Pienaar returning to action stronger before the season concludes, also insisted that Jagielka will not be rushed into making a hasty comeback.
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“Stevie has got a bit of a knock in his knee and that is going to take a bit of time. Phil Jagielka is 50/50 for the weekend”, the Spaniard told his club’s official site.
“We're going to make sure he [Pienaar] gets the right treatment. I expect it to be two or three weeks and then we'll see how well he recovers.
“It's important he is back before the season ends because he's a vital player for us. We'll make sure he comes back as strong as he can be.
“Phil is our captain and in any situation you want him to be around the players and helping the team through an important part of the season.
“He is a true leader and we want him fit as soon as we can but he needs to be 100 per cent.”
Everton, who are currently sixth in the league standings with 51 points from 28 games, won the corresponding fixture 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium in December.
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