LI TIE BACK THIS MONTH

Head Physio Mick Rathbone has revealed that Li Tie will be back at Everton in the next few weeks.

The Blues midfielder suffered a broken leg when he collided with team-mate Yang Pu whilst on international duty for China in February and has been in his homeland ever since.

But Rathbone has spoken to the player's agent and has been told that he will return to England at the end of April.

"Li Tie's agent came in on Tuesday with some latest X-rays," he told evertonfc.com.

"He's coming in at the end of the month and it seems as though everything is healing okay."

After seeing the X-rays, Rathbone is confident that there will be no complications and the 26-year-old should be fit and well for pre-season training.

"It's a very simple fracture, he's still in plaster of Paris, but he'll be coming back shortly," he said.

"We'll work with him in May and June and hope that he'll be ready and raring to go for the start of pre-season training in July."