Major pains for Baines as Defender ruled out for 3 months

Everton left-back Leighton Baines will be out for at least three months after having ankle surgery.

The 30-year-old was injured in training before the season started after returning from an operation on the same ankle.

The England international missed the final two games of last season.

Boss Roberto Martinez said he had a “perfect” pre-season and described the injury as a “disaster”.

The club said on Thursday that Baines had “undergone a successful ankle operation” and is set to miss “the next 12 to 14 weeks”.

Baines could now miss more than a dozen Premier League matches including the Merseyside derby against Liverpool, as well as five England games.

Roy Hodgson’s side face San Marino, Switzerland, Estonia and Lithuania in September and October as part of their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, plus a friendly against France in November.

Editor’s N0te: Will Bryan Oviedo be a suitable understudy or will Roberto Martinez be forced into the transfer market before the window closes at the end of August. There are funds available but there could be more if John Stones was to move to Chelsea. But I can’t see Roberto Martinez willing to sell John Stones now that Leighton Baines is also out for a lengthy period of time so the former Wigan boss will have to decide whether to stick with Oviedo or twist and get a new face in. A big loss for Everton no doubt this will not be the start to the season that The Toffees would have wanted