Everton left-back Leighton Baines will be out of action for the next three months after having ankle surgery, the club has announced.
Baines, 30, was forced to undergo surgery on an ankle problem he picked up in training prior to the start of the Premier League and will now miss the next 12 to 14 weeks.
The England international could miss more than a dozen matches for Everton in the Premier League and is almost certainly ruled out from international duty until the New Year.
The news will come as a huge loss to Everton, who will now have to rely on 19-year-old Brendan Galloway to deputise in Baines’ absence.
Baines’ threat from set pieces will be a particular miss for Roberto Martinez’s side. In fact, only three players have scored more goals from dead ball situations than Baines in the last six years (19).
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