WANDERERS hopes of signing Anders Limpar have been sabotaged by Everton's early season crisis.

Goodison manager Joe Royle has told Colin Todd he cannot afford to let the Swedish international come to Burnden because of mounting injury problems.

Limpar was expected to sign a loan deal this week and was pencilled in for his Bolton debut at home to Stoke on Saturday.

But Todd confirmed: "We can't do the deal at this moment in time.

"Everything had been agreed between myself, Joe and the player, who was due to arrive on a month's loan.

"But Joe now says he has so many injuries that he just cannot do it."

Limpar, who was hoping for a fresh challenge after failing to force his way back into the Everton first team, was pressed into action as substitute against Blackburn on Saturday and was in the starting line-up on Tuesday when the out-of-sorts Mersey men crashed out of the Coca-Cola Cup at York.

Todd hinted that the deal, which was thrashed out last week, could be revived, adding: "Joe says he will monitor the situation on a day to day basis."

Indeed, Royle could have a quick change of heart, depending on his reaction to the player's savage criticism of his management.

Limpar said angrily: "When the team have been doing as badly as they have in recent weeks and I don't even get a sniff of a chance, I have to think my future may be elsewhere.

"I don't like being told on the Friday that I'm going to be involved and then arriving at the grounds and not even making the bench.

"Half the time I wonder just what I am doing here. I would consider a loan move or a permanent deal if the right offer comes in. The manager has been great to me in the past but not right at this moment."

In the event, Todd is likely to consider giving fit-again Scott Sellars his third start of the season on Saturday.

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