FIFA have stepped in to clarify the position of Toffee’s star Mikel Arteta who continues to be linked to a possible international call up by England.

 

The Spaniard admitted that he would consider a call to arms from Fabio Capello but FIFA confirmed that appearances for his native country at U16 and U17 level rule him out of consideration for a call up for another country. To have qualified, Arteta’s first international appearance would have needed to be when he was eligible to appear for more than one nation. However, he has only recently become eligible to apply for British citizenship. The ruling will be a blow not only to the player but also to England who would no doubt have loved to have the option of selecting the player.

Blues defender Joseph Yobo has completed his move to Turkish side Fenerbahce on a year-long loan with an option to make a permanent move should all parties agree. The 29-year old Nigerian has fallen behind Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin in the pecking order at Goodison Park and has not featured during this campaign. He is one of Everton’s longest serving players having joined initially on loan in 2002 from Marseille and remains under contract until 2014.