DAVID MOYES has been forced to revise his transfer strategy for January after discovering that Phil Jagielka will be absent for six weeks with a knee injury.

The Everton manager had prioritised a centre-forward in the window with his side desperately short of quality and options in attack, although, despite raising about €21 million through player sales last summer, Moyes admits his search is concentrated in the loan market.

What little funds are available at Goodison Park, however, may now have to stretch to a central defender after the influential Jagielka damaged medial knee ligaments in the defeat against Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday. The England international is expected to miss league games against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea, among others, and his absence leaves Moyes with only Sylvain Distin and John Heitinga as recognised centre-halves.

Irish youngster Shane Duffy has been recalled from a loan spell at Scunthorpe United but the Everton manager requires experienced cover and January’s transfer plans have changed as a consequence. “It [a central defender] wasn’t a priority – we had other priorities – but that may change at the moment because of Jags’s injury,” said Moyes.

“It is going to be difficult for two central defenders to cope for that time. We’d like to add to one or two positions and with the injury to Jags it also leaves us short at centre-half. We know we don’t have great finances so we know it will be a problem to do that.”

Moyes says the impact of Jagielka’s loss was felt immediately by Everton against Bolton and that his absence represents a severe setback. “Losing Jagielka is an incredibly big thing for us because the one thing about the team at the moment is they have been very strong defensively in the main.

“Whether it has been Jagielka with Sylvain or John Heitinga that has worked really well for us. He has speed, commitment, is a little bit of a leader and has great recovery defending. Even the other night he got injured recovering to get a ball he had no right to get to. Overall we will miss that athleticism and speed he offers – and you have to remember he is one of the top centre-halves in England,” he added.

Jagielka joins a lengthy injury list at Everton that includes Leon Osman, who may require surgery to remove a piece of bone floating in his knee.

The Everton manager’s immediate concern is to avoid another third-round shock at his expense when non-league Tamworth visit Goodison Park in the FA Cup today. Everton have exited the competition to Shrewsbury Town and Oldham Athletic at the third-round stage under Moyes and he admits he approaches the tie with some trepidation.

“Those defeats remind you of a fear that you don’t want to have again. Nobody has asked me about the great run we had en route to the final [in 2009] and the teams we had to beat to get there.

“We will prepare for the game in the same fashion, go into it the same way, give the players their warnings and obviously expect them to go out and perform.

“I have got about five DVDs of Tamworth and have been to watch them myself. We have watched them in every game since we knew the draw.”