• Defender was injured at Old Trafford on Sunday • Ross Barkley likely to return to training this week

John Stones is to visit a specialist over the ankle injury sustained at Manchester United amid concerns that the Everton defender could be sidelined for up to eight weeks.

The 20-year-old was carried off in the final moments of Everton’s 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday having landed awkwardly when winning a header in the United penalty area. Roberto Martínez confirmed immediately after the game that the England international had suffered ankle ligament damage but the full extent has not been confirmed with the joint badly swollen.

Stones will see a specialist later this week about the problem but Everton fear the stylish defender is facing a lay-off of between six to eight weeks. If confirmed, the injury will represent a major setback to Martínez with his team struggling fourth from bottom of the Premier League and Stones arguably Everton’s best player in recent matches.

The £3m signing from Barnsley was immediately withdrawn from England’s European Championship qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia after Sunday’s setback and replaced by Arsenal’s Calum Chambers. Stones would miss England’s qualifier against Slovenia on 15 November with a six-week rehabilitation from his ankle injury, while an eight-week absence would force him to miss Premier League games against Aston Villa, Burnley, Swansea City, Sunderland and West Ham United for Everton, plus home and away Europa League fixtures against Lille.

Stones’ likely replacement, Sylvain Distin, has missed Everton’s last three games with a thigh problem.

Kevin Mirallas is also facing a long absence from the Everton first team, having suffered a hamstring tear in the recent Merseyside derby, and the influential Republic of Ireland duo, Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy, are sidelined with similar injuries.

One glimmer of positive injury news for Martínez is the expected return to training this week of Ross Barkley, who has not featured this season due to a knee ligament problem suffered on the eve of the campaign, although the Everton manager doubts whether the midfielder will be fit for Villa’s visit to Goodison Park after the international break.