Everton have announced Ross Barkley underwent groin surgery on Wednesday and will be sidelined for up to four weeks.
Barkley has not featured on Everton’s pre-season tour and is now unlikely to be fit in time for the start of the upcoming campaign after going under the knife.
“Ross Barkley underwent surgery today on his groin, with the injury having prevented him from travelling with the Everton team last week to Tanzania and this week to Holland,” a statement read on the club’s official website. “The surgery has been a success and he is expected to be able to return to play in approximately four weeks.”
The 23-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his current Everton deal and is expected to leave Goodison Park this summer after enduring a turbulent first season under Ronald Koeman.
Tottenham are the frontrunners for the England international but are not willing to match Everton’s staggering £50m price tag and actually value the midfielder closer to £15m.
The main complaint of Barkley is that his career hasn’t kicked on as many would have hoped when he broke onto the scene as an exciting teenager in the 2011/12 campaign.
Despite that, Barkley still made more key passes (84) than any other played aged 23 and under in Europe’s top five leagues last season.
For more stats on Ross Barkley, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
