Everton Football Club News

• Nickname:Toffees
• Founded:1878
• Manager:David Moyes

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Toffees allay Yakubu concern

24 Sep 2009 - 08:12:51

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Everton assistant Steve Round has allayed fears that Ayegbeni Yakubu suffered a fresh injury problem in his first start for 10 months.

The Nigeria striker confirmed his return with a first-half goal during Wednesday's 4-0 Carling Cup third round rout of Hull City.

However, he was substituted at half-time following an injury scare.

But speaking after the match, Round revealed that Yakubu had suffered a minor thigh problem and insisted that the striker's knee ligament injury is firmly behind him.

He explained: "He has got a slight thigh strain. We want him to train tomorrow and be ready for Saturday so we took him off as a precaution.

"He is a 20-goals-a-season striker. He has had nine months out and I have seen how hard he has worked to come back.

"It has been a long road for him so the whole team are delighted for him to get a goal."

Yakubu opened the scoring on 11 minutes and then goals by Jo, Dan Gosling and Leon Osman completed the rout.

Round added: "I think the early goals made a difference as they knocked the stuffing out of Hull a bit.

"They had a young team trying to get to grip with the game and I think that might have knocked the wind out of their sails a little bit.

"Once we got the goals we took control of the game and it was just a matter of seeing it through."