Injured Everton defender Nuno Valente is making a return to full training.
Everton have received some positive news on the injury front with defender Nuno Valente making a return to full training.Valente has been suffering with a groin strain but passed a fitness test on Wednesday.
"Nuno has joined in training after his groin strain. He has done all the running, sprinting and twisting without any symptoms so he is okay to get back into training," head physio Mick Rathbone told Everton TV.
Valente's return to fitness could not have come at a better time for The Toffees with the news that fellow left back Patrick Boyle is suffering with a back injury.
Boyle returned to Goodison Park from his month-long loan at Norwich with a stress fracture to his back which is set to keep him out of action for the remainder of 2006.
Rathbone added: "Paddy has got a stress fracture of his back which is going to keep him out for a significant period of time. He will see a specialist on Friday and he will confirm he will be out for a long period of time."
Boyle has followed Alessandro Pistone, Gary Naysmith and Valente into the treatment room in recent weeks.
Naysmith is still battling to overcome a serious knee ligament injury he sustained in the draw at Newcastle, whilst Pistone is struggling with an Achilles problem.
