Everton manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that Tom Cleverley's ankle injury is not as bad as first feared, though admitted the club are still unsure as to how long the midfielder will be out.
Cleverley was taken off on a stretcher during Everton's Premier League stalemate with Tottenham last weekend following a collision with Eric Dier.
"We have mixed feelings because we feared the worst when that challenge happened," Martinez told the club's official website.
"We thought that it was a fracture and to have a fracture at this stage of the season for Tom would have been devastating because his form has been terrific and he's a big game player.
"He has got ligament damage and the next step will be to see how long he is going to be out.
"It's an injury we need to try and recover as quickly as we can but clearly it's good news from when we saw Tom falling to the ground at White Hart Lane."
Another Everton player on the sidelines is Bryan Oviedo, who has withdrawn from the Costa Rica squad due to a knee injury.
However, Martinez is confident that the full-back, who has featured in Everton's last two matches, will not be absent for too long.
The Spaniard added: "Bryan took a knock against Barnsley and he then got a knock in the same place against Spurs – just on the medial knee ligament.
"But in the long-term it is not serious, it is mainly going to be how he responds over the next 10 to 14 days and it is about taking care of him in that period and making sure he is fully fit."
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