PHIL JAGIELKA’S dream of playing for Everton in the FA Cup Final has been shattered after he suffered a serious injury at Goodison Park today.

The England international - who converted the decisive penalty in the shootout win over Manchester United at Wembley last Sunday - ruptured the cruciate ligament in his left knee during Everton’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.

He now faces up to six months on the sidelines.

With Everton having already made three substitutions, Jagielka was taken from the field on a stretcher after 64 minutes and - such was the severity of his injury - he was immediately taken for a scan, which backed up the club’s initial fears.

It is heartbreaking news for Jagielka, who is hot favourite to be named Everton’s Player of the Year and was expected to be involved in England’s summer World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra.

He will undergo an operation in 10 days to repair the damage once the swelling subsides but the pain of surgery will be nothing compared to the aching that will come from not being part of the squad that faces Chelsea on May 30.

“The scan has unfortunately confirmed what we already feared and that is that Phil will be out for the rest of the season,” said Everton’s head of physio Mick Rathbone.