Roberto Martinez has ruled Phil Jagielka out of Wednesday’s Capital One Cup first round leg against Manchester City.
Jagielka was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham as he returns from a knee injury.
Despite making the bench, Martinez said the 33-year-old isn’t ready to make his first appearance since suffering medial ligament damage away to Arsenal in October.
He is not fit
Today [Sunday] he would have been fit for 15 minutes maximum. The FA Cup third round is a more realistic target to start.
Jagielka’s reintroduction to the backline will be a huge boost for the Toffees who have struggled defensively in their captain’s absence.
Managing just two clean sheets in the Premier League and conceding seven in their previous two home games before Spurs visited Merseyside at the weekend, Ramiro Funes Mori and John Stones have struggled as a partnership.
Martinez added that having Jagielka around the squad was the reason behind his inclusion on Sunday.
For us it was important to have the figure of a captain who could give us a comfort feeling.
Everton’s home defensive record is the worst in the league, so the return to fitness of Jagielka – who will be involved when Dagenham & Redbridge visit Goodison on Saturday – will go some way to improving them at the back.
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