Oh Carroll

As Rupert Brooke once wrote in his poem, The Old Vicarage, Grantchester: 

"Stands the church clock at ten to three? 
And is Andy Carroll still suffering from injury?" 

Northing defines the start of an English summer better than another Andy Carroll injury blip. His abductor muscle is playing up again and Andy's out of the Everton game. Carroll's groin injury is proving costly — in recent weeks he's missed games against West Brom, Watford, Chelsea, Swansea and now Everton. Apparently he felt his groin go again while mishitting the ball for Ayew's opener at Sunderland, but again he's played on too long. Part of the problem is that Carroll is a bit like Monty Python's Black Knight and will always play on regardless of loss of limbs.

If it's not a big injury it's these small niggling ones and it's all so frustrating because when he gets a few games under his belt AC's looked in great form. The club really has to sign a striker who can stay fit for next season, much as I like the big Geordie.

There's no Antonio and Ayew doesn't look like a solo striker. So it seems Calleri or Fletcher will come in against the Toffees, with Sakho only fit enough to play 30 minutes from the bench. Calleri must be brilliant in training for Bilic to rate him so highly, but he just hasn't looked like a finisher at all this season even if he did put in a shift against Swansea. Could be time to give another chance to Fletcher.

Meanwhile we'll have to cope with the inevitable Lukaku goal against us. Now there's a striker who can stay fit…