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Leighton Baines will be out until the new year after breaking his toe in the Merseyside derby .

The Everton star limped out of the frenzied contest after just 50 minutes, and after scans later in the afternoon, it was discovered he had a fractured metatarsal.

Blues boss Roberto Martinez is still waiting to get a full diagnosis from the medics, but the defender seems certain to be out for at least a month with the injury, which will mean he misses the crucial December period.

That is a huge blow for the Spanish coach, with Everton facing seven matches in the next four weeks, as they look to establish themselves in the race for a top four place.

Last week, Martinez insisted he would not be selling Baines in January. He said: "We were at that stage in the summer. But once we had that situation, when Marouane Fellaini and Victor Anichebe left, that gave us the opportunity to ­reinvest.

"Now we are in a position where we need a bit of ­continuity and time to squeeze our ­potential as a team."