Goodison Park club defender undergoes surgery on ankle injury.
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Everton have suffered an injury blow after Phil Jagielka underwent surgery on an ankle injury suffered in Saturday’s Premier League victory over Reading at Goodison Park.
The injury could also provide England manager Roy Hodgson a defensive headache for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro, with Jagielka not guaranteed to be back in action in time to be part of the international squad.
Jagielka, a regular at the heart of Everton’s defence, suffered the ankle damage after just five minutes of the Premier League game on Saturday following a late challenge by Reading forward Adam Le Fondre.
“It’s a bad one, he’s going to have surgery to stitch it up,” Everton manager David Moyes told BBC Sport immediately after the game. “At the time I thought it was poor. I’ve genuinely not seen the challenge again. Maybe if I see it again I will think differently. I’m disappointed because Jags is such a good player.”
Jagielka has not missed a single Premier League game this season but faces a fitness fight if he is to maintain his ever-present tag. He is out of Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Wigan at Goodison Park, but the full extent of his absence is not yet known.
Le Fondre tweeted: “Thoughts with Jags. Never meant to catch him. Caught him late and apologised.”