Moyes: 'Cahill needs rest'

David Moyes wants Tim Cahill to rest during the international break after revealing concerns over the Australia midfielder’s mental and physical condition.

Moyes is worried as Cahill, who scored in the midweek UEFA Cup exit to Dinamo Bucharest, has played non-stop over three years for club and country.

Cahill, the 25-year-old who inspired his side to fourth place last season, has been included in squad to face Manchester City at Eastlands tomorrow and Moyes wants his player to rest after the Barclays Premiership clash.

Under FIFA rules, Everton do not have to release Cahill for a 10-day training camp in Holland, but may be forced to let play in a friendly against Jamaica on October 9 at Craven Cottage.

Moyes may even fight to get the player excluded from that London fixture.

“If I have my way I think it would be beneficial for both Everton and Australia that Tim gets a break,” the Everton boss said.

“I think it would be good for him and it would be good for his mind as well. Physically he is not too bad but I think mentally it is important we feel he has a break.”

Everton believe Cahill would benefit from a complete rest over the two-week international break after the trip to City, having only recently returned from a gruelling return trip to face the Solomon Islands twice for his country.

Moyes told evertonfc.com: “The goal in midweek was a return to scoring form for Tim. But we still expect Tim’s performances to be even better because he has set such high standards for himself but he is a good player and that will come back.

“He will not join up with the training camp because it is not something we have to do. I think we do have to, through FIFA rules, let him go to the game against Jamaica in London but we don’t have to release him until Friday.

“If I have my way I think it would be beneficial for both Everton and Australia that Tim gets a break.”

On the game with City, Moyes added: “We are able to go into a game on the back of a victory. We have to try and use that as a platform to get another one because we want to get a run going.

“We have not started the season as well as we would like so we need to start picking up the points.

“We need to play at a level similar to Thursday night to give ourselves a chance. Anything less than that and we won’t have any chance at all.

“The positives from Thursday was the overall performance of the lads and the way they went about their job and how committed they were to getting the goals back.

“Had we got another one in the first half and it could have been different. Not getting the second goal before half-time made it that much harder for us.”

Mikel Arteta has been ruled out of the trip to Eastlands as he recovers from the sickening neck injury received against Bucharest, which led to him spending a night in hospital.

Moyes does not want UEFA to take any action against Romanian defender Mihaita Plesan for his aerial smash into the back of the Spanish midfielder, and added: “Mikel is okay. He has been released from hospital but as a precaution he will not be able to play.

“That is the end of the matter. We move on. We don’t want UEFA to look at the situation again.”