Yakubu back with a bang before injury curtails return

Everton striker Ayegbeni Yakubu marked his first start since November with a goal in his side's 4-0 League Cup win at Hull, but the Nigerian's return was marred by an injury scare. Yakubu has only just recovered from a snapped Achilles suffered before Christmas and he made up for lost time with Everton's opening goal after just 11 minutes and an assist for Dan Gosling's strike at the KC Stadium.

But Yakubu was forced off at half-time with a thigh strain and Everton assistant manager Steve Round admitted there was no way boss David Moyes was going to risk his star striker making the problem any worse.

"He has got a slight thigh strain," Round said. "We want him to train on Thursday and be ready for Saturday so we took him off as a precaution."

"He is a 20-goals-a-season striker. He has had nine months out and I have seen how hard he has worked to come back.

"It has been a long road for him so the whole team are delighted for him to get a goal."

With Yakubu back in action, Everton destroyed Hull's under-strength team with three goals in the first half. After Yakubu's strike, it was Brazilian Jo's turn before the Nigerian set up Gosling. Leon Osman made it four after half-time to pile the pressure on Tigers manager Phil Brown.

Hull are 19th in the Premier League after a poor start to the season and discontent is growing among supporters, who only saw their side escape relegation last season on the last day of the campaign.

But Brown said: "We have got a big job to do. Everybody is expecting us to go out of this division because of the second-season syndrome.

HULL, England, Thursday (AFP)