- David Moyes revealed Iliman Ndiaye suffered a knee injury against Liverpool
- The Senegalese international will be sidelined for multiple weeks with the issue
- LISTEN NOW:It’s All Kicking Off! Will Liverpool recover from Everton blow in season-defining week?
Everton have suffered a major injury setback as Iliman Ndiaye has been ruled out for an indefinite period of time with a medial ligament injury.
The 24-year-old could not hold back his tears after limping out of the final ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Ndiaye appeared to kick the turf following a challenge with Liverpool‘s Dominik Szoboszlai and needed medical attention on the pitch shortly afterwards.
He was clearly desperate to continue, but quickly realised as he got back to his feet that he was going to be unable to.
Now, David Moyes has revealed that Everton’s top goalscorer in the Premier League this season will miss weeks of action with his knee issue.
‘He’s got a medial ligament injury. It’s not looking great,’ said Moyes on Friday ahead of the Toffees’ trip to Crystal Palace.
David Moyes revealed that Iliman Ndiaye suffered a knee injury and will miss weeks of action
The midfielder was forced off after just 25 minutes in the Merseyside derby earlier this week
Since joining from Marseille last year, Ndiaye is Everton’s top scorer in the Premier League (6)
‘Not sure how long it’ll be – it will certainly be a few weeks.’
The recovery time from an MCL injury depends on its severity, ranging from a grade 1 sprain to a grade 3 tear.
In the case of a minor sprain, one can expect to be back in action after as few as two weeks.
However, a full tear can take as long as twelve weeks to heal; in this event, Ndiaye would return at the start of May with just a few weeks left of the season.
And, if the Toffees’ forward required surgery on the issue, he could be sidelined for longer, and even miss the rest of Everton’s campaign in the worst case scenario.
After joining from Marseille last summer, Nidaye has scored six goals this season and found the net in each of his last three top-flight appearances before facing Liverpool.
He has started every game under Moyes since the Scot began his second spell on Merseyside at the start of January.
Everton travel to south London to face Palace on Saturday afternoon, and will likely look to Jack Harrison to fill in for Ndiaye.
The Senegalese international may miss the rest of Everton’s season in the worst case scenario
Jack Harrison will likely replace Ndiaye for Everton’s upcoming game against Crystal Palace
The 28-year-old replaced him against Liverpool and has started 12 games in the Premier League this season.
Everton are looking to continue their impressive league form since their new manager has stepped into the role.
They have managed three wins, a draw and a defeat in Moyes’ five league games – a record that has left their relegation worries in the dust.
They now lie in 15th place on 27 points – 10 away from the drop zone.