Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta was today ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing a cruciate ligament in his knee.

The playmaker was carried off on a stretcher only three minutes into yesterday's 0-0 draw at Newcastle.

A spokesman said: “The results of a scan reveal he has no chance of playing again this term.”
Arteta has scored seven goals in 31 games this season and his absence will be a huge blow to injury-hit Everton.

Yakubu is out after rupturing an Achilles tendon, left-back Nuno Valente and forward James Vaughan have had knee surgery and midfielder Marouane Fellaini is playing with a cracked bone in his back.

Boss David Moyes said: “We are close to breaking point.”

Stephen Carr came out of retirement today to join Birmingham for a month. The former Spurs defender, 32, quit in December last year after failing to find a new club after leaving Newcastle.