BLUES' MIDFIELD WORRY

Everton could have selection problems in midfield for the game against Birmingham.

David Moyes has injury worries over Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman, while Tim Cahill is out for the season.

Arteta has been struggling this week with a niggling abdominal injury that has been hampering him for some time.

And Osman, the scorer of the winning goal in last week's win over Derby, has picked up a hip injury in training.

Neither player is definitely ruled out though, and Moyes will make late checks on their condition ahead of the game.

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Cahill's broken foot rules him out, while James Vaughan is another long-term absentee.

Moyes could bolster his squad with younger players.

He told evertonfc.com: "He (Arteta) has got an injury and he has been playing with it, so we are grateful for that.

"I think it has restricted him a bit and he feels it is dragging his performances down a little bit.

"Leon Osman has got a hip injury," continued Moyes. "We have been short of midfield players, it's been a problem area for us and we have used people in there out of position.

"Jack Rodwell has been in the squad and Dan Gosling has been injured for a month or so, so those two young boys would certainly be in and around the squad. And if required I'd have no problem playing them."

Everton: Howard, Wessels, Hibbert, Neville, Yobo, Lescott, Jagielka, Valente, Baines, Carsley, Arteta, Osman, Fernandes, Pienaar, Gravesen, Johnson, Yakubu, Anichebe, Rodwell, Gosling.

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