'This is our strongest squad in a decade' But injuries are still frustrating Moyes as Blues face United test.

Byline: O'Keefe

DAVID Moyes readily admits that in theory he has the strongest squad at Everton in 10 years ahead of today's North-West show-down with Manchester United.

But the Everton boss continues to feel like he is banging his head on a brick wall, as injuries pile-up to the point of complete exasperation.

With Tim Cahill adding his name to the list of casualties, having returned from international duty with an injured groin, the Everton boss is even running out of square pegs to fit in round holes.

Slight hopes that Steven Pienaar, Phil Neville and Leon Osman may have made a late re-entry into the squad to play the champions have also been dashed.

So as he attempts to plot Everton's first win at Old Trafford for 17 years, the Scot must contend with so many selection headaches he could be forgiven for seeking a darkened room to go and lie down in.

Questioned by one journalist about Everton having suffered " a few" injuries he raised an eye-brow.

"Just a few?" said the Scot with the faintest hint of a smile. "We've had injuries since last February so we've had to deal with this situation for nearly a year. There is a lot more made of other clubs' injuries than ours.

"I believe we have got a real strong squad and good players and what we need is to get them back, but at the moment we're just not.

"If other clubs lose one or two really key players it makes it hard for them to get results. We've been in that situation for too long.

"I though the break after the West Ham game might have given us time to get some of the lads back but it hasn't.

"We are trying to find a team out of what we've got and we're having to play people out of position and people who are not in good form. Equally people we would like to give a rest to.

"The hardest thing is that if people aren't performing well they are getting rewarded with a place in the next game which normally we wouldn't. We're trying to find a winning formula with maybe 12 or 13 players."

But it has been far from all doom and gloom around Everton's Finch Farm training ground in the run-up to the game.

While Moyes admits Diniyar Bilyaletdinov returned deeply crestfallen at Russia's last-ditch failure to qualify for the World Cup, Joseph Yobo and Ayegbeni Yakubu are quite the opposite.

"I think it looks as if they've come back really pleased to have qualified," he said.

" In their country it was something which the people weren't happy with that it was a situation where they were coming close (to not qualifying). You can see it has given them a big lift and they have an added spring in their step. It was a weight off their shoulders because it was quite a stressful situation for them to be in."

He is also buoyed by the terrific form of former Manchester United striker Louis Saha who has made his best ever start to a Premier League season in terms of his goal retur n.

"We undoubtedly took a gamble when we signed Louis," he said. "He had been injury prone but as well as that we had to take a gamble and didn't have money to buy a centre forward and Louis was available.

"It was a risk because of his injuries, certainly not his ability and it was a case of 'is this an on going thing?' but he convinced me that he wasn't and he has gone on to prove that.

"He has played world cup semi-finals and been transferred to Manchester United. He is a top player. I think everyone at Manchester United would probably admit that Louis Saha was a match for any player there in terms of talent.

"He is in the top three of players I have worked with in terms of ability. He has got some incredible ability."

He added that the deal was a financial coup, with the Blues not having to pay any fee for the classy forward, and he remains on pay-as-you play terms.

"Louis is included in every France pre-squad on standby. The French have got some good centre forwards but if he goes on scoring goals he will be noticed.

"I don't think he is turning around and saying playing for France is the be all and end all though."

Moyes added that the squad have shared some banter with Saha after his country's controversial qualification for next summer's World Cup thanks to Thierry Henry's hand-ball.

"We've given him some stick. Him and Sylvain over the last day or two," he said.

Meanwhile, Moyes does not believe Alex Ferguson's touchline ban will have any effect on his fellow Scot.

Today is Ferguson's last game before he serves a two-match ban for saying referee Alan Wiley was unfit to officiate his club's match against Sunderland in October.

And the Toffees boss thinks a suspension for the United manager will have less of an impact on Ferguson than it would on other top-flight coaches.

"It is important a manager gets the chance to be on the touchline if he wants so I do think it is significant if a manager is banned," said Moyes.

"But there are some managers who sit in the stands and are quite happy to do so.

"Sir Alex sits in his seat and can sit back and enjoy the game because he has got a really good team.

"In the main they win so he can sit back, unlike some other managers.

"We are jumping up and down on the touchline trying to motivate and keep getting the right result as much as we can.

"I don't think it will be too big a hindrance to Alex. He's experienced and I'm sure he will be happy to sit in the stands."

Critics of Ferguson's punishment - which also includes a further two-match ban suspended until the end of next season -argued it did not send out a strong enough message about respecting officials.

Moyes claimed members on the disciplinary panel often did not have detailed knowledge of the game and he would prefer to have people from inside football making the decisions.

Barclays Premier League P W D L F A Pts Chelsea..................................... 12 10 0 2 29 8 30 Arsenal...................................... 11 8 1 2 36 14 25 Man Utd.................................... 12 8 1 3 23 12 25 Tottenham ................................. 12 7 1 4 23 17 22 Aston Villa ................................. 12 6 3 3 20 12 21 Man City.................................... 11 5 5 1 21 14 20 Liverpool .................................. 12 6 1 5 27 18 19 Sunderland ................................ 12 5 2 5 20 19 17 Stoke ........................................ 12 4 4 4 12 15 16 Burnley...................................... 12 5 1 6 15 25 16 Fulham...................................... 11 4 3 4 14 14 15 Everton .................................... 11 4 3 4 15 17 15 Wigan ....................................... 12 4 2 6 13 22 14 Blackburn .................................. 11 4 1 6 14 25 13 B''ham ....................................... 12 3 3 6 10 14 12 Bolton ....................................... 11 3 2 6 15 24 11 Hull ........................................... 12 3 2 7 10 25 11 West Ham ................................. 12 2 4 6 16 20 10 Wolves ...................................... 12 2 4 6 12 22 10 Portsmouth ................................ 12 2 1 9 10 18 7

CAPTION(S):

STILL MISSING: Steven Pienaar BIG DOUBT: Tim Cahill is nursing a groin strain