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MIKEL ARTETA admits he has no idea when he will be back in action for Everton this season.

But the Spanish schemer has indicated he may be willing to play out the remainder of his career at Goodison.

Arteta has been sidelined since February when he suffered cruciate ligament damage just minutes in to the goalless draw at Newcastle United.

The 27-year-old had an operation in September to repair stitches in his cartilage as a consequence of the initial surgery, only for further complication to force Arteta to go under the knife once again earlier this month.

Everton manager David Moyes has already accepted the Spaniard will not return until the New Year, but Arteta is refusing to risk his long-term fitness by placing a date on his comeback.

“There have been a few problems, a few setbacks, it has been a hard period for me but sometimes you can avoid problems and sometimes you have to take it the way it comes,” he said.

“There was no explanation for the infection, they have had three cases like that in 35 years and the surgeon does thousands of operations a year.

“The surgeon and the medical staff at the club don’t want to talk about time, because there is no point. They only worry is to get my knee fixed properly and to get it fixed for the next seven or eight years of my career.

“That is my only aim. I want to be playing as soon as possible; but only as soon as my knee says I am ready to do it, because there is no point risking it.”

EVERTON’S Joseph Yobo is celebrating a distinctly Premiership love life after announcing his engagement to the woman rejoicing in the title Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. The Blues centre half confirmed he’s popped the question to beauty queen Adaeze Igwe.

Insider hears that the 29-year-old has presented Adaeze with a unique and very blinging ring: a diamond encrusted band with a heart shaped attachment.

Yobo was first spotted just months ago with gorgeous Adaeze, who represented Nigeria at the 2008 Miss World competition and recently completed a course at the New York Film Academy.

It’s a bit of a whirlwind strike for the soccer star, but maybe it won’t come as too much of a surprise to friends and family. Adaeze reportedly told pals soon after they met: “We are in a relationship and it is not one of those frivolous ones. It is a serious one that my mom even knows about. This is for real.”

Sources at modernghana.com reckon that romantic Yobo got down on one knee at Heathrow airport to ask Adaeze to marry him before she boarded a flight to the US.

“The excited but shocked ex-beauty queen allowed him to slip the ring on her finger and agreed to marry him with tears running down her cheeks,” says our spy.

TONY HIBBERT believes Everton’s players must give everything at Manchester United on Saturday – or risk losing their place in the side when their injured team-mates return.

The right-back says the current first team are constantly aware of how Everton’s out-of-action contingent are desperate to come back.

And he says the calibre of the injured players who are nearer to returning – like skipper Phil Neville, Leon Osman and Stephen Pienaar – means nobody can afford to lose focus.

He said: “The players who are out are genuine class. So, the players who are currently in the first-team are constantly looking over their shoulder even when they are fit or not.

“A few of them are on the fringes of a return and it just shows what hard work they have put in; we can't wait until they are back.

“People say that when the injured players are out, the team picks itself. Other players (elsewhere) may not want the injured players to come back, but that is certainly not the case at Everton. Every player at the club wants as big a squad as possible. It’s just a case of them wanting Everton to achieve, and the squad that we have are a great bunch of lads.”

Hibbert is also keenly aware the Blues will have to play better than their last away game at West Ham, where they grabbed a 2-1 win, to get anything from the Champions.

He said: “Last game at West Ham, they were maybe a little unlucky not take something from the game, but that's what we needed, just a little bit of luck.

“We've had a few good results down at Upton Park beforehand, so I think the lads were confident in themselves.

“We know what West Ham are all about. The lads expected to see what West Ham were capable of, but we stuck at it and ground out a result – which we needed.

“We haven't been getting the results, but we have been playing well in parts in the games. We just now need to do it for 90 minutes.”

Meanwhile, he is also looking forward to re-igniting the on-pitch banter with former team-mate Wayne Rooney.

He said: “There's always banter with Wayne and I talk to him a lot throughout the games.

“He always gives a lot back too. It's a good laugh.”