11.01.2014 20:03 h

Football: Everton fearful over Barkley absence

Leon Osman im Duell mit Kun Agüero (5.10.2013)
Leon Osman im Duell mit Kun Agüero (5.10.2013)

Everton could be without rising midfield star Ross Barkley for several weeks due to a foot injury, manager Roberto Martinez revealed on Saturday.

The 20-year-old England international sustained a suspected broken toe in last weekend's FA Cup win over Queens Park Rangers and sat out Saturday's 2-0 defeat of Norwich City in the Premier League.

"We are going to assess him and it seems he is going to be out for a while. It could be broken," Martinez said.

"We are going to assess it to see if there was displacement or not. It is a very similar incident to the one Leighton Baines had. Before we say exactly what it is, that is the fear, that there could be a fracture in his toe."

Everton left-back Baines spent a month out of action prior to Christmas after picking up a similar injury.

Despite Barkley's injury, Martinez revealed that he would join the rest of the squad for a warm-weather training camp on the Spanish island of Tenerife next week.

"Knowing Ross, being a young man, hopefully with the sun, a bit of Vitamin D intake, it will accelerate the (healing) process," said the Everton manager.

Barkley has been one of the breakthrough stars of the current Premier League season and has been tipped for a place in the England squad for the World Cup in Brazil.