DAVID MOYES has warned any Everton players shirking their responsibilities will be in for a “fright” once the club’s walking wounded start returning to fitness.

The Goodison outfit aim to arrest a run of three successive defeats when they host Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon.

With injury ravaging Moyes’s squad to the extent he was without 10 senior professionals for Tuesday’s Carling Cup defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, those players that have remained fit have almost become automatic choices by default.

And the Everton manager has warned he will not hesitate in wielding the axe on anyone who has been taking their place for granted.

“I would hate to think that was the way our boys thought, but subconsciously maybe there is an element of that,” said Moyes. “And if that is the case they are going to be in for a fright when the injury situation changes.

“If we don’t get performances out of them then ultimately they will be changed. I’m like an elephant, I don’t forget. I don’t forget if people don’t perform and they let me down. We all need to be on it.

“It has always been my policy not to talk about the players who are injured and talk about the ones who are fit, and the players who are available need to stand up for themselves.

“A lot of them are playing out of position and doing jobs that are unusual for them but I can’t make excuses, they’ve got to play better no matter where they play.

“We did it last year. We probably had our best spell last season when we had no centre-forwards and people playing out of position, so why should it be any different this year?