Tim Cahill won’t rush his Everton comeback

Jul 8 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Everton Fc's Tim Cahill _100

TIM CAHILL has vowed not to rush his way back to full fitness – as Tony Hibbert faces up to missing the start of the season.

Hibbert has undergone an operation to repair the medial ligament damage to his right knee suffered during the penultimate game of last season at Arsenal.

The 27-year-old subsequently spent six weeks wearing a brace with Everton’s medical staff hopeful the damage would naturally heal.

But the decision has been taken for Hibbert to go under the knife, with the right-back now rated “touch and go” to be fit for the season opener at home to Blackburn Rovers on August 16.

“We put it in a brace for six weeks, because surgery is to be avoided at all costs,” said head of physio Mick Rathbone.

“We have got him running flat out in a straight line, but any side-to-side stuff and he just doesn’t feel right.

“Now is the optimum time to get it sorted and get it pinned back into place. Hopefully he will be there or thereabouts for the start of the season. It’s touch and go.

“If we waited longer and he needed an operation then it would really impact on the start of the season so it is the right decision.”

Hibbert was one of several Everton players not among the squad that travelled to Switzerland yesterday to begin a week-long training camp.

Cahill is another to have remained at Finch Farm, with the midfielder taking longer to recover his fitness than first anticipated.