Saturday May 03 2008 12:00
Everton manager David Moyes has confirmed that Mikel Arteta's stomach and groin injuries have ruled him out of the last two games of the season.
The 26-year-old Spanish midfielder has struggled with the problems in the second half of the campaign and has not started a game since the beginning of last month.
A dejected Moyes admitted: "He's had an injury which he hasn't been comfortable with since probably before Christmas.
"We've given him opportunities to go back to Spain and see a specialist he wants to work with there, but he isn't comfortable with it either now so in fairness we have to say he isn't available.
"He came on in the game on Sunday and he came back to training and hasn't felt good for a couple of days so really we're ruling him out until the end of the season and until the start of the next.
"Mikel feels it after games more so. He feels sore with it and doesn't feel comfortable. He's played some games, he's missed some training and I think it's affected his form.
"But it doesn't require surgery. He's had some rest and has been getting some treatment. We'll do everything we can - he's done everything he can to get himself fit and it just hasn't happened."
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