Everton closer to top-six spot
Johnson was taken off on a stretcher in yesterday’s Premiership win at Wigan after being brought down by a crunching, but fair, challenge from Wigan goalkeeper, Chris Kirkland.
And though early indications are that the ankle is not broken, the condition will be more closely looked at during the next 24 hours.
Club physiotherapist, Mick Rathbone, said: “Andy was taken off after injuring his left ankle. He was taken to the casualty department at Wigan Infirmary where a series of X-rays were done. There is no obvious fracture but we will undertake a few more specific investigations tomorrow.”
More details are expected to be released this evening after a full diagnosis is reached.
It was apparent Johnson was in pain as play carried on around him before he finally received treatment, only to be carried off with his left leg immobilised.
It took the gloss off Everton’s 2-0 victory at the JJB Stadium, a win that lifts the club to seventh in the Premiership as they push for a top-six finish and UEFA Cup football next season.
Johnson’s replacement, Victor Anichebe, made an instant impact.
The 18-year-old was brought down in the area by former Everton defender, David Unsworth, five minutes after his arrival.
Referee, Howard Webb, had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, and up stepped Mikel Arteta to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.
In the first of five minutes of injury-time, the Spanish midfielder added his second, side-footing home a pinpoint right-wing cross from captain, Phil Neville, inside the six-yard box.
On a heavy pitch and in heavy rain and the occasional hailstorm, Wigan appeared on course to finally end their long losing run until Unsworth’s mistake to give away the penalty.
The Latics have lost their last eight matches and with seven in the league they have equalled an unwanted club record set 14 years ago.
Yet again it was apparent the club are in need of new faces to revitalise their ailing campaign, with manager, Paul Jewell, hopeful of tying up a deal within the next 24 hours for Papa Bouba Diop.
Jewell revealed: “We have made an offer for a player who has been accepted by his club. We are now waiting for that player to say yes or no. Hopefully that will be as early as tomorrow.”
If Diop signs it will end a frustrating wait for Jewell, who has so far been thwarted on numerous occasions during the transfer window.
Jewell added: “If there is a team that has tried to get more players, made more phone calls, had more meetings and been let down more than we have, I would like to know who they are.
“The last three weeks have been unbelievable because we have got close to getting players in on so many occasions, only for them to fall through for differing reasons. I thought this game had 0-0 written all over it. It was pretty average for the neutral, but we would have taken that.
“It would have given us something which we haven’t had for a while, which is a clean sheet. Our keeper has barely touched the ball until we make a crazy decision in the box to try and win it and give a penalty away. That sums us up of late. We keep on making errors and getting punished for them.”
With no match next weekend after being knocked out of the FA Cup earlier this month, Jewell joked: “At least it means we won’t get beaten next week.”
OPTA FACT: This was Wigan’s eighth successive defeat (in all comps), their worst run since becoming a league side in the 1970s.
Mikel Arteta’s goals were his first away from Goodison Park this season. Arteta had scored only two Premiership goals in two seasons before this campaign, but has six already in 2006-07.
WIGAN: Kirkland, Boyce, Hall (Taylor 65), Unsworth, Baines, Valencia (Cotterill 78), Landzaat, Skoko, Kilbane, Heskey, McCulloch.
EVERTON: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott, Arteta, Osman, Carsley, Cahill (Beattie 88), Davies, Johnson (Anichebe 60).
Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).
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