YOBO REACHES NEXT LEVEL

David Moyes believes Joseph Yobo has responded to the arrival of new young talent in the Blues' defensive ranks by growing in stature as a defender.

The Nigerian international returned to Barclays Premier League action for the 2-1 victory at Bolton last month following a minor injury.

His one game absence was his first in the league for almost 18 months. And that consistency of fitness is, according to Moyes, being matched by a consistency of performance.

He said: “Joe was terrific at Bolton, particularly in the first half when he held us together.

“His last three or four performances have been of a very high standard, even though there have been times when he has struggled with a bit of a groin strain.

“He is maturing all the time. Our defence at Bolton was quite young, with Phil Jagielka on the right and Leighton Baines on the left.

“They are quite new to the way we do things here and how we want the defence to play. We were quite pleased with them but don’t forget we have got quite a few who can play there, too.

“But these young boys will improve with experience and they have got plenty of pace, Joe in particular.”

Yobo's impressive Premier League appearance record will, however, be seriously affected by Nigeria's qualification for the African Cup of Nations, which was confirmed following the 2-0 weekend victory over Lesotho.

Victor Anichebe's decision to opt for Nigeria as his national country ahead of England means there is the potential for a quartet of Blues departing Merseyside bound for the African Cup of Nations in the New Year at a crucial stage of the Barclays Premier League campaign.

Record-signing Yakubu is back in the international fold with the Super Eagles following Berti Vogts' arrival as coach and Yobo is a key member of the team, whilst Steven Pienaar is a regular in the South Africa squad.

Such issues will impact on the Blues in the New Year - but on the immediate horizon the Blues have seven games to deal with in the space of 22 days.

That is the manager's priority: “This is going to be a tough period for us with a lot of games coming up thick and fast. All the players are going to be involved at some point.”