LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) - Australia's Tim Cahill has promised he will be fit in time for pre-season training after a broken foot last month ruled the Everton star out of the current English season.

"I'll be back better than ever," said Cahill, who was confirmed to have fractured his foot after a 1-1 draw with West Ham.

In the absence of the goalscoring midfielder, Everton have slipped five points behind city rivals Liverpool in the race for a fourth place finish in the Premier League and the Champions League qualifying spot that goes with it.

Cahill stressed he'd wasted no time in ensuring he could be back at full fitness as soon as possible.

"I started my rehab programme the day after I broke it again. One thing is that I am experienced in this game, and I know exactly where I am with my foot injury.

"When it comes to pre-season, it will be like I haven't been out of football."

Everton have taken just one point from the last nine, with Cahill figuring for only 15 minutes of those three games.

He started to suffer injury problems again in the 1-0 win at Sunderland on March 3, and was only named on the bench for Everton's UEFA Cup exit at the hands on Fiorentina in a penalty shootout.

He then missed the 1-0 defeat at Fulham and broke down again after 15 minutes of the home draw with West Ham.

And the day before the 1-0 Merseyside derby defeat at the weekend, Moyes announced officially that Cahill's season was over.

Underlining Cahill's value to Everton is the Toffees record when he was ruled out with a similar injury at the start this season.

He missed Everton's first 13 matches and Moyes's men lost five of those.

In the next 13, they were unbeaten and Cahill played in 12 and scored six.