Jeffers faces two-month absence

The Everton striker Francis Jeffers is out for two months with badly damaged ankle ligaments after being carried off in the Worthington Cup defeat at Bristol Rovers on Wednesday,writes Alan Nixon.

The Everton striker Francis Jeffers is out for two months with badly damaged ankle ligaments after being carried off in the Worthington Cup defeat at Bristol Rovers on Wednesday,writes Alan Nixon.

The in-form striker will also miss England Under-21 duty during his absence, but the blow will be felt more by Everton's manager Walter Smith. With Duncan Ferguson absent and Kevin Campbell coming back from a knee operation, the Goodison side are short of attacking options.

The Tottenham and England midfielder Darren Anderton has come through his first test on his return to action after tearing a groin muscle four weeks ago.

Anderton, who played the full 90 minutes for Spurs reserves against Watford this week, has missed out on the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Germany and Finland next month. Tottenham's manager, George Graham, said: "He'll need a couple more reserve games yet before he's ready to return to the first team."

Graham, though, has been hit by other injuries with the defenders Mauricio Taricco (groin) and Luke Young (foot) out of Saturday's trip to Leeds.