Jagielka blow for Toffees

29 December 2013 16:47

Everton captain Phil Jagielka will be out for up to four weeks due to a hamstring problem, Toffees boss Roberto Martinez has confirmed.

Jagielka missed Sunday's 2-1 Barclays Premier League home victory over Southampton, with the Merseyside club stating on their official website beforehand that a hamstring injury had been the reason.

And after the match, when asked about the England defender, Martinez said: "It was at the end of the game against Sunderland (Everton's previous fixture, a 1-0 home defeat on Boxing Day).

"With this soft tissue injury it could be up to four weeks, but knowing Jags he will be back earlier.

"It is just the accumulation of games and the demands of this month - November into December is high-risk in terms of injuries to the players.

"When you have the number of games we play, it is understandable."

Source: PA