Arteta banned

Mikel Arteta starts his three-match ban tomorrow as Everton play at Middlesbrough for being sent off on Saturday against Arsenal.

He also misses Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Oldham and next Tuesday’s trip to Chelsea for the Carling Cup semi-final first leg.

Everton could also be without midfielder Thomas Gravesen, who has a knee problem, but have Leighton Baines and Alan Stubbs back in the squad after hamstring and calf problems.

Leon Osman is still out with a foot injury, while Iain Turner and Andy van der Meyde are still long-term injury worries.

Provisional squad: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Stubbs, Baines, Valente, Jagielka, Neville, Carsley, Cahill, Pienaar, McFadden, Johnson, Yakubu, Vaughan, Anichebe, Wessels.