Season › 2015-16 › News Cleverley expected to be out for 6–8 weeks , 2 September, 23comments | Jump to most recent Everton expect Tom Cleverley will be sidelined for somewhere between 6 to 8 weeks with the injury he sustained in Saturday's goalless draw with Tottenham. The midfielder was stretchered off following a heavy tackle by Spurs' Eric Dier, escaping a fracture but suffering ligament damage that could take as long as two months to heal. In interview with evertonfc.com today, Roberto Martinez didn't put an official timescale on Cleverley's return but expressed his relief that scans revealed no break. Privately, there are hopes that the way in which the injury has initially responded means that the Blues' summer recruit could be back in action by the middle of next month. “We thought that it was a fracture and to have a fracture at this stage of the season for Tom would have been devastating because his form has been terrific," Martinez said. “He has got ligament damage and the next step will be to see how long he is going to be out. "It’s an injury we need to try and recover as quickly as we can but clearly it’s good news from when we saw Tom falling to the ground at White Hart Lane.” Reader Comments (23) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Terence Leong 1 Posted 01/09/2015 at 10:24:53 Tough break for the lad. For now, because Cleverley has been used on the flanks, it means that either Mirallas / Deulofeu will be called up to replace him.And we certainly need both players to be match fit as soon as possible. In the longer run, Cleverley might do well beside McCarthy (in place of Barry).Hopefully, we can see Besic get a run out substantially; we need all players match fit as much as possible. Jim Bennings 2 Posted 01/09/2015 at 10:26:54 Just never gets any better on the injury front does it?Tom has started quite well and now he's gone until early November, along with Baines, so disappointing.Still think we are two or three injuries away from a major struggle, the league is so competitive this season, we have no divine right to finish ahead of clubs like Palace, Leicester for example.It's going to be a real tussle. Jim Bennings 3 Posted 01/09/2015 at 10:36:15 TerenceI don't think I could suffer Besic next to McCarthy again..Offers nothing at all. Barry Morrison 4 Posted 01/09/2015 at 10:42:38 He'll be like a new signing when he comes back... Chris Gould 5 Posted 01/09/2015 at 10:45:47 Jim, he offers protection to a left winger that doesn't track back. Without Cleverley, we may employ Mirallas on the left. If we do that then the left back will need extra protection. Barry struggles to cover enough ground, which is why, I suspect, we often don't play with 2 wingers.Bobby doesn't like to have both Mirallas and Deulofeu in the starting 11 and with good reason. Both full backs would be exposed. McCarthy can cover a lazy winger on the right. Barry doesn't have the legs on the left. Besic might. Chris Gould 6 Posted 01/09/2015 at 10:50:21 Not worth debating because Barry won't be dropped. Eventually I hope Cleverley takes over from Barry, but I'm not sure where that leaves Besic in the long term.For what it's worth, I'll be surprised if Cleverley is back that quickly. Tony J Williams 8 Posted 01/09/2015 at 12:40:18 I thought Dier was acting like a prick all game.A bit of bitter blood there?I must be as dopey as Martinez, as I thought he was sent off when he was carded, could've sworn he'd been booked before. Raymond Fox 9 Posted 01/09/2015 at 13:17:10 He will be badly missed; it's a pity because he has played very well since he arrived.Curse our luck. Keith Monaghan 10 Posted 01/09/2015 at 13:31:30 Tough on Tom - wasn't keen on us signing him, but think he's done quite well - will definitely be missed. He has lots of energy which he puts to good use, unlike the headless chicken McCarthy and he offers a lot more going forward. Hope his out-time is more like 6 than 8 weeks. Drew Shortis 11 Posted 01/09/2015 at 13:31:38 Saw a picture in the papers yesterday of his foot twisted so that it was almost pointing backwards. He's lucky it didn't break. Two months is a blow, but it could have been a lot worse! Dennis Stevens 12 Posted 01/09/2015 at 13:53:54 Chris, Barry covers more ground than anyone in the team. Chris Gould 13 Posted 01/09/2015 at 15:01:41 Yes he does, Dennis. But too slowly. It's why he picks up so many yellows. Because he doesn't have the speed to make recovery tackles. He pulls them back or trips them. I like him, but he's too reliant on being in the right position. Way too slow for the Premier League. Peter Morris 14 Posted 01/09/2015 at 19:14:44 I don't think the team offer enough offensive threat with McCarthy, Barry and Cleverley in the starting 11.The midfield woefully lacks pace. Surely Cleverley is seen as Barry's natural successor? He's a good water carrier with lots of stamina, but not much sign of any craft and guile for me. We simply must have either Del Boy of Mirallas in the starting 11 for the majority of our games at least? Neil Lawson 15 Posted 01/09/2015 at 20:22:42 I reckon that now Lennon and Funes have signed that we should play with 5 at the back and 4 wingers, abandon any ideas of midfield craft, with Rom tucking away at least 1 in 4 of the crosses that may occasionally come in once we have passed the ball around at least 20 times. Of course, that means no place for Ross, so perhaps he can play in goal.Now that would be worth travelling from Exeter to see. Win (or lose) 7-6. Value for money!!SOG Mike Childs 16 Posted 01/09/2015 at 00:02:43 Some clean tackle. stupid f'n announcers. Reminds of the NFL where they don't dare question the integrity of the refs for fear of loosing their jobs. As one who wasn't keen on the signing I am happy to say I was wrong. Paul Kelly 17 Posted 02/09/2015 at 00:54:21 See yer in four months then Tom Harold Matthews 18 Posted 02/09/2015 at 02:13:30 Typical Everton non-reaction when Eric Dier crunched him. It wouldn't have happened against Bayern Munich because Guardiola teams are ordered to protest infringements with great fervour. This thug Dier smashed into Barkley for 90 minutes without a murmur of protest. What is it with Martinez, Jags and Everton? Are they again after the fair play award? If refs know we're a soft touch we'll lose out on all 50/50 decisions.I am fuming... and don't get me started on Coleman backing off, backing off, backing off, backing off, backing off. andrew jones 19 Posted 02/09/2015 at 08:33:42 Tough on Tom, although it gives us an option to play with 2 natural wide players now. Craig Mills 20 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:13:21 This should allow a starting place for Mirallais on the left but will be interesting to see if he opts for Kone on the right or Lennon? We've looked better with Kone on the pitch but he isn't a wide player and never has been. Paul Cherrington 21 Posted 02/09/2015 at 10:56:04 Harold @16 is spot on and this illustrates an area we are lacking that has not been addressed by the manager. I am not saying we should be diving about or going round smashing into anything that moves for no reason but we need to start sticking up for ourselves & letting the ref know when we're not happy. Like it or not, it does make a difference when the decisions are being handed out. At the end of the day, the first thing that should have happened to Dier after that tackle on Cleverley was one of ours should have done him the next time he touched the ball. Come back, Tim Cahill... Paul Kossoff 22 Posted 02/09/2015 at 17:42:25 Everton should be on the phone to Spurs telling them to pay Cleverley's wages and medical bills.The tackle was from behind and a scissor action, which I thought was illegal. Never mind RM saying he didn't blame Dier, who was to blame then? Alastair Donaldson 23 Posted 02/09/2015 at 19:24:39 Harold & Paul spot on. The edge is missing in too many of our players. I hate to hark back to the 80s, BUT we had a real tough spine to the team. Sharp, Reid, Ratters... not to mention psycho Pat and Gary Stevens... they all put their foot in and looked after the rest. I know things have changed and most referees have zero clue about hard/fair tackling but we do come across as far too nice... and that gets us nothing, not even a fair play entry to the Europa shambles. So, I would like to see Besic given (okay, some) game time and a few others providing a much more physical approach.No chance! Eddie Dunn 24 Posted 02/09/2015 at 23:41:45 Good point Chris.6. 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