TIM HOWARD believes an injection of fresh blood is much-needed at Everton, as Landon Donovan flies in for his second loan spell with the club.

Donovan will arrive at Finch Farm today, and will spend the next two months at Goodison Park having agreed a two-month switch from MLS side LA Galaxy earlier this month.

The 29-year-old, who enjoyed a successful stint with the Toffees back in 2010, is expected to go straight into David Moyes’ squad for the trip to West Bromwich Albion on New Year’s Day.

And his fellow USA international Howard believes it is important that Everton add to their squad over the next few weeks if they are to achieve their ambition of a top-half Premier League finish this season.

“To get where we want to be we need to be in the top half of the table,” said Howard, an ever-present in the league this season. “We have kind of teetered around there, but now we need to put some wins together and then, when we get there, really crack on.

“Maybe get some new players in January, who knows? But that would breathe some fresh life into us as a group of players and as a club and then the fans would, as always, get right behind that group of players.

“So January should be a fun month but there are plenty of games before then.”

Sunday’s clash at the Hawthorns will be the start of a hectic few weeks for Moyes’ men. Everton face five league and cup fixtures in just 13 days at the start of January, and could play as many as eight games before February 1.