Blues Handed Double Boost

Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell close in on a return to full fitness.

Everton have received a major boost this week as two of their young guns close on a return to full fitness.

Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling are both expected to resume full training in the next couple of days and have an outside chance of figuring in Saturday's FA Cup clash with Birmingham.

Both have been recovering from hamstring injuries, with Gosling out since 2 December against AEK Athens, and Rodwell since the home game against BATE on December 17.

The pair have been working together in recent weeks, with their rehabiliations running in parallel.

"Rehab is going well," Rodwell told evertonTV. "I’ve been stepping it up a bit with Dan Gosling as well as we’ve got the same kind of injury, and hopefully we’ll be training either Wednesday or Thursday."

"It’s been six and a half weeks now," recalled Gosling in another evertonTV exclusive. "The estimated time out was a minimum of six so I’m on track, and I should be training this week hopefully.

"Jack and I had the same injury and have been doing the same rehab. I think we’ll be back with the boys on Thursday this week, so I can’t wait."

Both players have happy memories of the FA Cup. Gosling scored THAT goal against Liverpool last season while Rodwell netted his first Everton goal in the fifth round win over Aston Villa.

Even with that incentive, the pair are showing maturity in not rushing back into competitive action.

"I hope to be back in training on Thursday and I’ll see how it is," continued Gosling. "If we’re in with a shout for the squad on Saturday then so be it but if not, then the following week I’ll just try and push on and see where it takes us. 

"It depends really," agreed Rodwell. "Hopefully if I get a training session under my belt of Thursday with no reaction, then the same on Friday, then we’ll see what the manager thinks and the physio thinks, and if it’s right for me to be in the squad or involved then hopefully I will be."

You can catch evertonTV's exclusive interviews with both Gosling and Rodwell online at lunch time today. To view, click here.