Source: Telegraph
Luckless Louis Saha set to miss out on Cup revenge mission against Manchester United
Saha's 4½ years at Old Trafford never really went the way he wanted. Beset by injuries, he was never able to prove himself properly before Ferguson lost patience with him in 2008, and the Frenchman had been hoping to make his point against his former club at Wembley this weekend.
"It will be special to play United in one of the last games of the competition," Saha said this week. "I know them inside out and I will be extra motivated." However, he will now face an anxious wait to see whether the illness, which kept him out of training yesterday, will subside in time for him to play.
David Moyes, the Everton manager, is optimistic that Saha will be available. "It is a worry because he wasn't well today," Moyes said. "Hopefully it is just a bit of sickness and he will be OK."
However, the illness, potentially devastating for the player, also poses yet another personnel concern for Moyes, especially as Jo, the Brazilian forward, is ineligible to play.
Should Saha be unavailable Moyes would be expected to call on Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini to lead the line, although he has revealed that he also has the option of calling James Vaughan back into the squad, as the 20-year-old has made an impressive recovery from cartilage surgery to his right knee last November.
It would be some comeback for Vaughan, whose recovery resembled something of a black comedy after his surgeon, the famed Dr Richard Steadman, broke his arm in a skiing accident just before he was due to begin work on Vaughan.
Nevertheless, Vaughan has navigated the obstacles and should he come through his reserve game against Manchester United on Thursday without any side effects, and he could be called into the squad for Wembley.
Also in contention for a recall is defender Joseph Yobo, who returned to training on Tuesday after missing the last three matches with a hamstring complaint.
Meanwhile, another man laid low by illness is Steven Bennett, the referee who had been detailed to officiate on Sunday. Mike Riley will take his place.
