Gibson back, Kone soon and Oviedo set for September return
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been giving an update on his long term injured players as his squad reported back for pre-season training.
The Spaniard has said that midfielder Darron Gibson is fully fit and raring to go following nearly 1 year out, he says that striker Arouna Kone is very close to joining up with the squad and needs a little one to one work and that left-back Bryan Oviedo will return to the squad in September following his broken leg.
Martinez said: “They are fresh, known talent which is important. It is true that we have to look after them well.
“They are so eager to get working that sometimes you have to be a little bit protective over that.
“Darron Gibson is in a very strong way and is ready to join the group straight away.
“Bryan will need a bit more individual work before he gets fully fit and probably the end of September is when we expect him to be ready.
“Arouna Kone needs a little bit more one-to-one work for a couple of weeks, then he will be able to join the group.”
There was talk that Oviedo would make it back for the World Cup, but Martinez was keen to stress that this wasn’t the case and that the Costa Rican hadn’t suffered a set back.
He explained: “Realistically, from a medical point of view, it was never a possibility (of playing in the World Cup). What made it a possibility was the way he pushed himself and the way he was working so hard – so at one stage we thought he would make it.
“Once everything settled and we were getting closer to the World Cup we realised he was a little bit behind so we slowed down a bit more to make sure we don’t get any problems in the recovery.
“We never had a setback or anything other than the need for time to heal such an injury that Bryan had.”
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