Moyes Has Injury Concerns

Boss to check on players' fitness.

David Moyes has admitted that a number of his first team squad will need assessing ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup fifth round clash with Oldham Athletic.

The Blues boss revealed the defeat at league leaders Manchester United last weekend took its toll on his squad but stopped short of naming names.

“We have got one or two injuries from the Manchester United game,” he said at his Friday press conference. “We are going to have to assess them and see if they will make it.”

Moyes does, however, have Ross Barkley back in the fold after he completed a loan spell at Championship side Leeds United.

The midfielder could play a part against the Latics as Moyes ponders the youngster's short term future.

“In the last few games, he wasn’t playing for Leeds so Neil Warnock had indicated that he was going to send him back,” he added. “We will look to see what we can do. We might send him back out on loan and we’ll take it from there.”

Elsewhere, Nikica Jelavic is pushing for a recall after finding himself on the bench in recent week with Moyes hoping Croatian’s rest has been of benefit.

“I don’t know what it does for anybody but you hope that they sit back and look at exactly what they have to do to get back into the team and get their real form back,” he explained. “It’s part of football.

“Hopefully when he gets his opportunity he will be ready to take it. Maybe a little bit of a rest at times can help.”

Sylvain Distin missed the game at Old Trafford through illness but comes back into the fold for the trip to Boundary Park but January capture John Stones is Cup-tied having featured in the previous two rounds for Barnsley.

Seamus Coleman has missed the last three weeks with injury while Tony Hibbert is sidelined with a long term calf problem.