Everton confirm Doucoure has another significant injury

Well the injury jinx has hit again as Everton today confimed that Abdoulaye Doucoure has suffered a groin injury probably keeping him sidelined for several weeks.

This is just about the worst possible news that new interim Everton boss Duncan Ferguson could get after yesterday’s 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

This is the second time Doucoure has gone down hurt already this season and the loss of his qualities will be felt keenly although in truth he hasn’t been at his best for several games now.

Given his injury, it’s a good job there is a near two week break now for another set of internationals meaning that the Blues don’t have a match until Brentford in the FA Cup fourth round on the 5th February.

Doucoure might well have been rested for that game anyway given that Everton are facing a huge Premier League match at Newcastle United just a few days later.

We all have to hope that the 28-year-old Frenchman will be fit at least for that trip to the northeast next month.

The Toffees desperately need three points from that game so a fully fit squad will be very important for whoever picks that team whether it is Ferguson or another manager.

Doucoure joins Tom Davies and Fabian Delph as midfielders absent with Allan also only able to come on later in the Villa game.

And, all this leaves a key area of the team short of numbers and once again represents the sort of typical bad luck the Toffees have had again this season.

This will mean that Ferguson (or his successor) might have to be a bit creative when he comes to picking his midfield for the Brentford game and possibly the visit to St James Park.

Their are other options including using either Mason Holgate or possibly Ben Godfrey in midifield. Both players have previously played there, Holgate under Ferguson and Godfrey early in his career.

While neither represent an ideal choice perhaps that might be the only short-term solution. There is one other altenative that is to give young midfielder Tyler Onyango more game-time.

The rangy young player has had a few minutes here and there and came on against Villa. He looks a player of some promise but is obviousy young and inexperienced.

Perhaps the club can get another player or two in before the window shuts and tellingly Ferguson has admitted that if any further deals are done it will be up to others and not him.

This doesn’t mean for certain that he won’t get the job on a permanent basis, but it is possibly a hint that the club are still looking very seriously at other candidates.