No matter what allegiance, when a footballer suffers a career-threatening injury, there is nothing but sympathy.

In January, Everton midfielder James McCarthy broke his leg in two places during a challenge with West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon.

The timeline of recovery is a lengthy one in these cases, and all the 27-year-old will be hoping is that he regains form when he eventually returns to competitive action.

McCarthy is no stranger to injuries having struggled with hamstring problems before, and this season he has only made six appearances in all competitions.

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Everton have had a difficult season with plenty of inconsistency, and at the moment the fans are losing faith with manager Sam Allardyce.

There was some positivity at the weekend, though, as the Merseyside outfit ended a run of two straight defeats by overcoming Brighton at Goodison Park.

Another boost for the club was provided by McCarthy when he took to social media to provide an update on his injury.

In a post on Instagram, the Republic of Ireland international claimed that he is taking steps towards returning to fitness.

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