Tottenham target Ross Barkley has undergone surgery on a groin injury after it prevented him from travelling with the rest of the Everton squad to both Tanzania and Holland.
The player has been the subject of much speculation this summer, but the club have confirmed that his absence on these tours have simply been due to injury.
He is expected to be able to return to action in approximately four weeks after a successful operation, meaning that he should not miss too much of the new Premier League season, which gets underway for Everton against Stoke City at Goodison Park on August 12th.
Barkley had previously been reticent to move to London, but has been impressed by what he has heard from his England colleagues about Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.
It is yet to be seen whether this injury set-back will dissuade the London club in their pursuit of 23-year old Barkley.
