Attacker set for early return to Everton

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that midfielder Kevin Mirallas is in line to return to full fitness earlier than planned after he opted to begin pre-season training before the other players in the Toffees squad that featured in the latter stages of the World Cup.





The 26-year-old played for an hour of Belgium’s defeat to Argentina in the round of 16 at the showpiece tournament in early July and was not scheduled to being his preparation for the Premier League campaign until today.



However, his good attitude and private one-on-one sessions means that his extra sessions at the club’s Finch farm training complex have given him a strong chance of playing a part in the Goodison Park outfit’s opening fixtures.



“Kevin wanted to join us a little bit earlier. His due date was today but he has arrived already and has been doing some work. He has done three sessions that is going to help him be fully fit earlier than we had planned,” the Spaniard admitted.



Meanwhile, Martinez is not concerned that several members of his squad are yet to return to match fitness following their exploits in South America and has insisted that he has been impressed with the shape his players have reported to him in.



“You are going to get individual answers but 95% of the players will be peaking for the Leicester game and then you are you going to get a small group – the ones who arrived a little bit later from the World Cup – who will need more time.



“Kevin Mirallas has been working well already and Romelu [Lukaku] is joining us today and they are going to be a little bit behind the others. But everyone else, I was very pleased with. Mo Besic and Ross Barkley showed a pleasing level,” he declared.