JAGS TRAVELS!!!
By The Nark End
February 24 2010
PHIL JAGIELKA IN THE TRAVELLING PARTY TO LISBON...
Everton defender Phil Jagielka has travelled with the squad to Portugal.
David Moyes has added the England defender to his 22-man party for the return leg of their Europa League Round of 32 knockout tie against Sporting Lisbon.
Jagielka had been named in the starting line-up for Everton's reserve fixture with Bolton on Tuesday but the match was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
The 27-year-old has not featured in the first-team squad since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Manchester City last April.
Swiss centre-back Philippe Senderos, who has missed the last two games because of a back injury, is also on the plane as the Toffees look to advance through to the last 16 of the competition. David Moyes' side hold a 2-1 advantage from the first leg encounter at Goodison last week.
It is the second time during this inaugural Europa League campaign that the Everton squad has travelled to Lisbon, having faced Benfica in the group stage.
The awayday in October resulted in a heavy defeat for an injury-ravaged Everton side. For this excursion to Portugal, however, Moyes has a shorter injury-list to contend with and, as a result, a more experienced group of players to choose from.
Nevertheless, five players are unavailable for the match. They are Tim Cahill (calf), Marouane Fellaini (ankle), John Heitinga (cup-tied), Sylvain Distin (suspended) and Tony Hibbert (hernia).
The aggregate winners will face either Spanish La Liga side Atletico Madrid or Turkish giants Galatasaray. The two sides drew 1-1 in Madrid in the first leg last week.
Everton squad: Howard, Nash, Turner, Baines, Yobo, Neville, Coleman, Senderos, Jagielka, Duffy, Arteta, Osman, Pienaar, Bilyaletdinov, Gosling, Rodwell, Baxter, Donovan, Yakubu, Anichebe, Vaughan, Saha.