Li Tie to miss rest of season

Everton midfielder Li Tie will miss the rest of the season with a broken leg sustained on international duty for China this week.

The 26-year-old picked up the injury in a training ground clash with team-mate Yang Pu.

Hopes were high that the player would be back in action within weeks, but Everton boss David Moyes today confirmed this is not the case.

He told the club’s official website, www.evertonfc.com: “When you’re halfway around the world you never get quite the communication you would expect but by all accounts he has broken his leg, which rules him out for the rest of the season.”

The type of injury sustained means there is no need for surgery to repair the damage and a plaster cast should heal the problem in a few weeks.

The player is expected to continue his rehabilitation programme in China, before returning to the Goodison club towards the end of the season.