And now Moyes – who welcomes back Leon Osman this afternoon – may find room for Arteta on the bench in what would be a major boost.

“When we have everybody fit we have enough players, but I’m not sure we have enough fit to be able to chop and change at this time,” said the Goodison manager. “For some teams it can be an opportunity to give some squad players a chance.

“Leon Osman is back after a hamstring injury. Mikel Arteta, Victor Anichebe, Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell are the four that are closest to a return from the long-term injured. Arteta will be close.”

Moyes remains confident of further bolstering his resources with at least one new loan signing – Arsenal centre-back Philippe Senderos is high on his list of targets – before the end of the month.

“I hope I might have one more loan signing coming in,” he said. “I may have a possibility of another couple.”

Meanwhile, Moyes has revealed he decided to send striker Jo back to Manchester City after the Brazilian failed to turn up for training again this week.

The 22-year-old had already been fined and suspended for returning to his homeland over Christmas without permission.

Jo returned to training at the beginning of last week but when he failed to turn up at the club’s Finch Farm complex on Monday, Moyes’s patience ran out and he decided to cut short the season-long loan, with City immediately loaning the player out to Turkish side Galatasaray.

“Jo didn’t come in over Christmas so we fined and suspended him,” said Moyes. “I brought him back in, spoke to him and explained to the players I was going to give him another chance and he came and trained with us last week.

“And then he didn’t turn up for training on Monday again so I don’t know how many more chances I can give people.

“I thought it was only the going to be disruptive to the players, who thought it was the right thing to bring him back after his suspension. But when he never came in to work on Monday that was the final straw.”