Lescott joined Manchester City in a £22million deal in August after several weeks of bitter wrangling between the clubs. Moyes was highly critical of City's conduct throughout the saga and feels the whole affair had a negative effect on his team. Everton, now making a late push for Europe, have done well to rescue their season after an injury-ravaged opening few months saw them collect just 15 points from their first 14 Premier League games. Moyes said: "Damage was done by that transfer. "I think it had a lot to do with how we started the season, it wasn't just injuries. It took us a long time to recover. "Our away form hasn't been as good as our home form. "That could have had a lot to do with the instability we had at the start with new defenders coming into the team. "It was a bit unfair on Sylvain Distin and Johnny Heitinga, being thrown straight into it when the team was short of one or two players. "But we are talking about something that happened 10 months ago. I'm now stopping talking about it." Everton travel to Eastlands on Wednesday but there will be no reunion with Lescott after the defender was ruled out for up to five weeks with a hamstring injury. Lescott followed the likes of Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz in making big-money moves to City in the summer. City are now pushing for a top-four finish and can move back into that final Champions League position with victory over the Toffees tomorrow. "It is a big test," Moyes admitted. "They have got some really big match-winners - but they paid really heavily, top dollar, to get them." Everton, however, can travel in confidence having lost just two of their last 16 matches. That run has included home victories over City, Chelsea and Manchester United and, sitting eighth, they could yet feature in the European reckoning. But with just eight games to go and five points to make up on seventh-placed Aston Villa, Moyes has played down the possibility of a return to continental competition. Moyes said: "I think it is too big an ask to catch the teams above us. "I think we would need to do really well and expect those teams to falter quite a bit. "Those teams have got the points in the bag and we would need to do our talking on the pitch, but it is a big ask." To maintain their interest Everton will need to transfer some of their home form to their away performances. Saturday's 2-0 victory over Bolton was the club's seventh in succession at Goodison Park - their best run in the league for 20 years. Moyes said: "We started slowly so we needed to go on a good run of home games. "But the important thing is to try to win the next game. "I think we have been playing well for a few months but there has also been the odd blip in there. "We have got ourselves in a healthy position when you consider where we were in October-November. "That is all credit to the players, they have worked really hard." Everton have close to a fully-fit squad for the clash against Roberto Mancini's City. Victor Anichebe was carried off on a stretcher after a blow to the ribs against Bolton but has suffered no serious damage. Moyes said: "The scan has come back clear. I think he's still a little sore but hopefully it is just bruising." Philippe Senderos should return to training later this week after a medial ligament strain leaving Marouane Fellaini as the only major absentee.
