Oviedo looking at late-season cameo

, 14 April, 26comments  |  Jump to most recent

(Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images)
Everton hope to welcome Bryan Oviedo back to the side early next month as the Costa Rican prepares to resume full training following a hamstring injury.

Oviedo has been missing from the team since suffering a torn tendon in the Europa League Round of 32 first leg against Young Boys of Bern in February but Roberto Martinez says he should be back around the end of the month.

“I expect him to be training at the end of this week so we are probably looking at two or three weeks before he is back — maybe the Sunderland game [on 9th May],” the manager said.

“It was a bad injury. The tendon got a bad tear. It wasn't a pull in the belly of the muscle, it was a tear right on the tendon, really high up.”

Martinez also provided updates on Leon Osman and Romelu Lukaku who could both passed fit to face Burnley on Saturday.

Lukaku has resumed normal training with the first team after suffering a hamstring injury of his own while Osman suffered a groin strain early on at Swansea last weekend.

"[W]e're really pleased with the scans and it's a soft tissue problem that, knowing Leon, maybe he's got an opportunity to make it for Saturday,” Martinez explained.

“We're going to give him treatment over the next few days and see how he reacts, and then maybe on Friday we'll make a final decision. But it's not as bad as we thought at the beginning and that helps.

“If [Romelu] trains and doesn't get any reaction over the next few days then clearly he will be fully fit and available for the next six games, which is exactly what we want,” the manager concluded.

 

Reader Comments (26)

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Brian Porter
1 Posted 15/04/2015 at 06:01:33
I just hope that when Bryan is fully fit, Martinez uses him in the team and doesnÂ’t just restrict him to the odd 10 minutes here and there. I think he proved last season just what an asset he is to the team, so we need him back and he needs playing time, especially with the season drawing to a close and the danger of relegation seemingly passed. I

It would be good to see Ossie back too. HeÂ’s made a big difference to recent performances, and hopefully Rom will be up for it and might bang in one or two against Burnley.

Colin Glassar
2 Posted 15/04/2015 at 10:03:59
A major decision has to be made very soon. I think we have three top left-backs at the club (Baines, Oviedo and Garbutt) and it is unfair, IMO, to leave one of them out.

My option would see all three playing (Garbutt - LB, Baines - LM, Oviedo - LW) but we all know that isnÂ’t going to happen... so I think one of these players will have to be sacrificed and my sacrificial lamb would be... Oviedo.

I like Bryan, I think heÂ’s a great lad and player but heÂ’s injury prone IMO. Bainsey has had an iffy season but heÂ’s still a great player and is coming good again; and Garbutt? Well Luke is pure potential who will eventually take over BainseyÂ’s place at Everton and England so we need to keep him happy.

I donÂ’t think Bryan will be happy to be third choice so, unfortunately, IÂ’d let him go and keep the other two happy.

Mark Pierpoint
3 Posted 15/04/2015 at 10:25:26
I agree, Colin. Unless Oviedo can adapt to playing the LW game of Pienaar in the long term, then I do not see him as a long term fixture at Everton.

We cannot hold onto Ovideo at the expense of Garbutt for me. Garbutt is a better financial asset and I think will be a better LB in the long term than Oviedo.

Dean Adams
4 Posted 15/04/2015 at 10:40:54
I think he has the potential to play in the "Pienaar" role, plus he has a good shot as well. We should keep all three players and use width more next season. This season has proved that we need a balanced team playing in every game.
Denis Richardson
5 Posted 15/04/2015 at 11:49:24
Tbh Colin, I think we should be smarter in rotating our squad and cash in on Baines.

HeÂ’s our best LB right now but heÂ’s also not far off 30 so his value and abilities are only going to go downhill in the next year or two.

Both Oviedo and especially Garbutt can take over imo. Man City will be in the market for a LB and selling Baines to them for say £10-15m would be great business. England LB and they need homegrown players in their squad. The funds can then finance a decent player in another position. Remember also that Baines is one or our top earners on around £75k/week.

Denis Richardson
6 Posted 15/04/2015 at 11:56:04
Actually heÂ’s already 30 so even more reason to cash in in the summer.
Minik Hansen
7 Posted 15/04/2015 at 12:43:55
Keep Baines, he's a bit more like Cahill. ItÂ’s Everton all over them, I believe itÂ’s good for our club.
Gavin McGarvey
8 Posted 15/04/2015 at 12:59:50
The problem with cashing in on Baines is that he is a goal threat and outside of Lukaku we donÂ’t have many.

Ideally we would hang on to all three as they are all good players. Any team who picked up Oviedo would be getting a bargain. To be honest, itÂ’s surprising other teams havenÂ’t been sniffing about, as he is a really good player. Still, I suppose thatÂ’s because LB is rarely a glamour position.

IÂ’d like us to at least try to move one of them out onto the wing or into midfield before we move them on. If that fails then being realistic we will have to sell one to have a better balance to the squad and to be fair to the players.

Jim Hardin
9 Posted 15/04/2015 at 13:06:14
Why would anyone suggest getting rid of Oviedo? He already has played at least three positions including left back, mid and winger for his national side and has shown versatility for Everton. Given the fears here about old players and lack of money to overhaul the entire squad, I would think a player who can play two and even three spots and can actually do them fairly well, would be valued and would be kept.

Gavin has the best idea of trying the players out before moving them on. I wonder why no one has suggested Garbutt at a mid spot since his attacking play is better than his defensive play from what I have seen.

Harold Matthews
10 Posted 15/04/2015 at 13:24:08
Jim H. YouÂ’ve said it all for me my friend, including the bit about Garbutt. An exciting lad going forward but weak in the air and a dodgy defender. If he ever plays for the England 1st team IÂ’ll do a naked swallow dive off the ferryboat.
James Stewart
11 Posted 15/04/2015 at 15:33:23
@2 Curiously I agree with Colin on this which doesnÂ’t happen often. Better to keep Baines and Garbutt. Oviedo has never looked comfortable on the wing to me.
Andrew Ellams
12 Posted 15/04/2015 at 15:42:25
IÂ’m not convinced that Oviedo has ever got over his leg break and is probably now third in this particular list. He has done OK in the more forward role but isnÂ’t good enough to make it his own.

Harold, Garbutt is young without many games under his belt and his all-round game will improve in time. I hope we arenÂ’t kickin ourselves when he is getting more pitch time somewhere else.

Colin Glassar
13 Posted 15/04/2015 at 16:09:18
First of all let me say that I really rate Oviedo and would hate to see him leave. I also think Martinez rates him as well so out of the three itÂ’ll probably be young Luke who will be sacrificed. IÂ’d love to keep all three of them if IÂ’m honest.
Mike Gaynes
14 Posted 15/04/2015 at 16:43:40
I’d be gutted to see Oviedo leave as well, particularly because Baines has had such a poor year by his standards and, as Harold says, Garbutt is totally unconvincing defensively. Besides, I’ve been a Baby booster since even before he joined the club – I suggested here that Moyes recruit him after watching him play for CR, and was delighted at his arrival.

I have a suggestion nobody has mentioned... Oviedo in BarryÂ’s spot. He has the grit for supporting mid, is much quicker than Barry and will get forward into spaces where McCarthy wonÂ’t (and finish where McCarthy wonÂ’t) and can make the incisive passes Besic cannot. Whattya think?

Paul Tran
15 Posted 15/04/2015 at 17:30:23
HeÂ’s quick, versatile, always looking forward, likes shooting and scoring. HeÂ’s someone IÂ’d always want in the team when heÂ’s fit. Play him, or sell him while he has value.
Trevor Peers
16 Posted 15/04/2015 at 17:35:00
If itÂ’s a straight choice between Oviedo and Garbutt. Roberto must take Garbutt every time. Luke is probably a bit less versatile but has looked a future England full back in the making.

Oviedo can fill in as a midfielder but has never reached the heights since his unlucky injury, when his best position was full back.

Liam Reilly
17 Posted 15/04/2015 at 18:55:09
Garbutt must have more game time in the dead rubber run in games, else heÂ’ll be off for a song and there will be no decision to be made.

Browning, Ledson also should be blooded now for cameos; as thereÂ’s little to lose.

Keep Oviedo - cause with our perenial injury curse; he"l be needed.

Michael Winstanley
18 Posted 15/04/2015 at 19:37:26
Good player for us last season before he got crocked. He came in and proved a lot of the doubters wrong scoring a few goals and creating a few. This season has been difficult for him, obviously the career threatening injury has taken time for him to get over and unfortunately got injured.

HeÂ’s ahead of Garbutt for me but IÂ’d like to see him given a chance on either wing, unlikely whilst Pienaar and Lennon are fit.

Like others IÂ’d sell Baines to Man City for a few quid and keep Oviedo and Garbutt. True neither has huge experience of our league but they can only get that by playing.

I took a look at our squad appearances and found a few players have played nearly every game but most our squad and some of the youth have been given a chance this season. Has Martinez used this season to see what his squad is capable of?

Steve Alderson
19 Posted 15/04/2015 at 21:00:34
Oviedo isnÂ’t injury prone , besides getting his leg mangled I donÂ’t remember another injury besides this hamstring tear. I do remember his shot against Man U though which an on fire De Gea saved . I doubt another Everton player besides Barkley can strike a ball that well. He has technical ability, work rate and is able to play in more than one position. Wanting to keep him is a no brainer.
Denis Richardson
20 Posted 16/04/2015 at 01:20:51
Colin, if Martinez was willing to try them in different positions more often, then I’d keep all three. However, it doesn’t look like that and I can’t see Garbutt staying if he’s not going to be allowed to even fight for a place. As long as Baines is at EFC, he’ll be first choice – along with about 6-7 other players.

Competition for places only works if the manager is willing to pick players based on form, which has not been the case with Martinez. I fear young Luke will be gone for nought in a couple of months and if Baines is still around next season Oviedo will probably leave for nought next year. That would be typical Everton and would not surprise me in the least bit.

Jim Harrison
21 Posted 16/04/2015 at 06:26:18
Baines moves inside to deep lying mid; Garbutt and Oviedo fight it out for left back. Simples.
Brin Williams
22 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:45:31
I like Oviedo very much and itÂ’s a pity we have seen so little of him in an Everton Shirt.

It appears that his appearances have not registered with the DailyPost as, under the caption Â’Oviedo targets return to actionÂ’ in yesterdayÂ’s paper, shows a photograph subtitled Â’EvertonÂ’s Bryan Oviedo taking on Crystal PalaceÂ’s Jordan Mutch in January, prior to him sustaining a hamstring injuryÂ’.

But that was not OVIEDO – it was BESIC. Now I fully understand how one Phil Kirkbride philipkirkbride@trinitymirror.com 0r @PhilEcho can get his Everton players mixed up in private but to publish the picture of BESIC taking on the Crystal Palace's Mutch is just plain ignorance and probably shows were his allegiances lie.

Idle twat.

Max Wilson
23 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:35:32
With the work rate of our keenest players plus great natural skill, Bryan is one player we must keep. HeÂ’s had some rotten luck in his career with us and IÂ’m sure if we show him our loyalty he will give us his very best. He often reminds me of the younger Ossie on the ball.
Colin Glassar
24 Posted 17/04/2015 at 21:14:50
Just read that Luke HAS been offered a contract but a decision wonÂ’t be made until the summer. Apparently, to keep him happy, and playing, we will loan him to another Premier League club for a season (probably one of the newly promoted teams).

I donÂ’t know if this is old news or not but IÂ’m keeping my fingers crossed we can sort this out.

Patrick Murphy
25 Posted 17/04/2015 at 21:26:14
Colin, I donÂ’t think that he will want to be put out on loan although, from EvertonÂ’s point of view, I can see the merits of that idea.
Colin Glassar
26 Posted 18/04/2015 at 10:43:00
If he goes with the promise of sharing the LB spot the following season (2016-17?) upon his return, I think that might satisfy him, Patrick.

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