Belgian duo will sit out Paderborn friendly

Lyndon Lloyd , 8 August, 34comments | Jump to most recent

Neither Kevin Mirallas nor Romelu Lukaku are guaranteed to start in the season opener at Leicester

Roberto Martinez says that Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas will sharpen up their fitness levels in training over the coming week rather than be risked in tomorrow's warm-up game against SC Paderborn but neither player is guaranteed to play against Leicester.

Both players took a break following their involvement with Belgium in the World Cup but their manager explained that they're not ready to participate in a full friendly match and could miss the season opener next weekend.

“When you have players coming back from the World Cup you have to decide if you want the players straight away or do you give them a bit of time to refresh and be ready to play for 10 months?” Martinez said.

“It will only be Kevin Mirallas and Rom who might not start the season. For Romelu, it will depend on how he adapts to work from now until August 16.

"There is a degree of risk if you put them into a [match] situation so early. They've been training really well and are accumulating a lot of work.

"Playing in a game would have stopped them being able to get in a lot of that extra work and we didn't want to do that.

"They're not going to be a part [of the team] but they will get three sessions in while we're out here [in Germany]. That will accelerate the process of them being ready as quickly as possible."

Citing the player's age and condition, Martinez indicated last week that he was unconcerned about Lukaku specifically not being involved in any of the pre-season action and the same thinking no doubt applies to his international team-mate, Mirallas.

“[Romelu]'s a young man,” Martinez said. “It's when you're over 30 that your body needs to go through specific routines.

The period he's had [since Brazil] is long enough for him to refresh but not long enough for him to detrain. He's not going to be involved in Germany as I make sure he's ready for the start of the season.”

Some quotes sourced from evertonFC.com

Reader Comments (34)

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Helen Mallon
1 Posted 08/08/2014 at 19:45:05

Why not give them 2 training sessions and twenty mins in the friendly what difference would it make. They can still get injured training, only saying

Phil Walling
2 Posted 08/08/2014 at 19:51:37

Roberto's obviously got a cheap job lot of cotton wool !

I thought footballers thrived on playing.....not just training !

Colin Glassar
3 Posted 08/08/2014 at 19:53:32

Don’t mention the I word, Helen.

Sean Kelly
4 Posted 08/08/2014 at 19:48:55

Understand where you are coming from on this one Helen. Surely in the training session there is some intensity and some contact would be expected. I think Roberto is wrapping them in cotton wool just hope they are ready for Leicester .

Andrew Ellams
5 Posted 08/08/2014 at 20:08:21

Isn't there a behind doors game between now and the Leicester game? Good guess that the 1st XI for Leicester will appear in that one

Brent Stephens
6 Posted 08/08/2014 at 20:13:35

Training sessions don't have the sort of contact we saw at Tranmere this week. McCarthy's leg could have been broken.

Steve Higham
7 Posted 08/08/2014 at 20:17:30

Does this mean that the Belgian duo will miss the Leicester game? I for one will be very disappointed if this is the case.

Derek Knox
8 Posted 08/08/2014 at 20:10:27

I must admit Helen and Sean that I thought they would have played, even if it was twenty minutes or so, it’s match fitness preparation that counts !

So, they keep telling us irrespective of the results, and as another poster mentioned on another thread, neither Lukaku or more specifically SuperKev played every minute of their team’s involvement in the WC ( not the toilet )

Phil, I believe Roberto got a job lot of his old pal Dave the pegleg Whelan. The NHS were more than generous to DW when he broke his leg, but he doesn’t like to mention it !

Oh Glasstrodamus what is in the I word forsooth ? Pray tell us humble listeners is this a sign ?

Keith Glazzard
9 Posted 08/08/2014 at 20:13:30

I trust Roberto on this one. He's talking about two athletes who know how to live and work. Remember when Rooney came back from his hols about three stone overweight? If they don't need this run out, why risk them?

We could have lost Jimmy Mac for the season with one 'tackle' against Viga.

Phil Walling
10 Posted 08/08/2014 at 21:12:42

Hey, I just thought that if none of them ever played, they'd never get hurt. Not even Gibbo !

You wanna bet ?

Danny Broderick
11 Posted 08/08/2014 at 21:22:20

I find it strange that we haven't played our strongest team once in pre-season. I don't really see how that strongest team can be up to speed on day one if they haven't all had some game time in pre-season. If we had some German/Argentinian/Dutch/Brazilian players who had played every game right until the end of the tournament, I might understand it. I know we have a lot of games to play this year - but do Mirallas and Lukaku, having played a couple of extra games in the WC, really need no playing time in pre-season to recover?

Harold Matthews
12 Posted 08/08/2014 at 22:34:26

Have to go with Roberto but can't hide my disappointment. Naismith is a good lad and a real trier, but watching him up top on his own pre-season, has been quite painful and illustrates the need for a proper No 9 back-up. Traore, Barrow or whoever.

Ant Dwyer
13 Posted 09/08/2014 at 01:34:07

Harold Matthews @9, spot on and exactly what IÂ’ve been thinking. Also IÂ’d say itÂ’s been similar with McGeady and IÂ’d really want to see Mirallas in his place too.

Wayne Smyth
14 Posted 09/08/2014 at 08:31:57

Once again I think Martinez takes a long term view, leaving himself open to criticism, by allowing his World Cup players a few extra weeks off than most teams seem to have done.

From what I read, neither Rom or Mirallas will start against Leicester and Martinez is banking that resting them now will win us points late in the season.

I've no idea if this is the best approach, or whether potentially dropping points early could have a knock on effect to our season as a whole. Only time will tell.

Geoff Evans
15 Posted 09/08/2014 at 09:54:49

Anybody know the latest news on Brian Oviedo?

John Pickles
16 Posted 09/08/2014 at 09:41:45

So this is it then, a shortage of strikers mean it's finally time to unleash our 'secret weapon' on Leicester. It's been years (and years) but at last it's time, send in .................Magaye Gueye! ........ Oh wait a minute, DAMN!!!!

Dean Adams
17 Posted 09/08/2014 at 09:59:52

Where does Roberto say that Rom and Kev wont be playing Leicester? He is not specific in the interview on the OS. Does someone know for sure?

Peter Barnes
18 Posted 09/08/2014 at 10:08:33

Call me old fashioned but would it not be better to have everyone in and ready to play from day 1? I appreciate that the world cup and even other international demands make all of this difficult these days but I would say at the moment we look ill prepared for the KO next week.
Howard Kendal once said you only get the same points for the winning first match as you do the second.
Of course if we go ahead and beat Leicester next week all of this will be forgotten.

Brian Waring
19 Posted 09/08/2014 at 10:29:40

"I find it strange that we haven't played our strongest team once in pre-season" I reckon the team that starts today will be the one starting against Leicester Danny.

Chris James
20 Posted 09/08/2014 at 10:20:36

I think this need for 'rest post World Cup' is utter bollocks to be frank. Pretty much every single other major player from Brazil has been in pre-season action for at least 1-2 weeks now (bar Suarez and Neymar obviously) and both Rom and Kev have had a month off the pitch after a tournament in which they only played 1-2 games each.

I do agree there's no need to overplay them in friendlies, but surely one half-decent run out before the season starts is essential.
Considering the fixtures we have ahead and what we learned from our slow start last season (if we'd turned 2 of those opening draws into wins we'd have just had 1 more result to flip to be up with Arsenal), I'd say 3 points at Leicester were absolutely vital, so we really need to hit the ground running and ensure we have our strongest side in that game. From this point it looks very much like both the Belgians will be starting from the bench.

The only thing I can realistically think is this is the ultimate case of keeping powder dry and trying to hone the rest of the squad into a team that is gelled and can compete already so that these two provide that new signing type injection of extra quality at the start of the season.

I know I should trust, Robbie has after all so far been pretty much good to his word in terms of delivering improvement to the squad, playing style and overall points and making us believe that he genuinely can bring the CL slot.

Steve Durham
21 Posted 09/08/2014 at 10:45:50

On a positive note, it gives the likes of McGeady another opportunity to prove to Roberto they arenÂ’t quite good enough for the first team.

Brent Stephens
22 Posted 09/08/2014 at 11:01:11

Martinez is reported as saying the 2 Belgians won't start today and aren't shoo-ins. Yet didn't he also say that Lukaku doesn't need [so much] pre-season friendly time as he's not been away long enough to "detrain"?

Brent Stephens
23 Posted 09/08/2014 at 11:08:59

Roberto talks in riddles and contradictions at times. I never know really what to believe. The quotes from him in Lyndon's piece are shot through with contradictions.

Sam Hoare
24 Posted 09/08/2014 at 11:10:10

I'm just not sure we have the depth to allow such lavish recovery time. If they were German or Argentinians I could understand but they are Belgians who went out before the semis. They've had four weeks rest and should be ready to play at least some part in the friendly today and first game of the season. They didn't even start every game.

Derek Knox
25 Posted 09/08/2014 at 11:22:07

Phil # 10

I know you're post was tongue in cheek, but it did bring back the amusing, but true, story of that stalwart goalkeeper we had Richard Wright ! (nuff said )

I can't recall exactly what stage of the season it was, but very few players were out injured ( tougher then ) and then before the game an announcement was made that RW was unavailable for selection due to injury, he was first choice keeper too !

We were all bemused as to the cause, and nothing had been mentioned from official sources or on the radio, about a training injury, which can happen !

The explanation, when we eventually received one, was that his wife, had asked him to retrieve or deposit something from their loft.

During the execution of this apparently simple task, he fell through the loft hatch and sustained his injury !

Aw !

Phil Walling
26 Posted 09/08/2014 at 12:18:51

He was a star, Derek. I think it was at Chelsea when in the warm up he stood in front of a sign saying 'Keep clear, slippy surface' and .........duly slipped over and had to be replaced !

Phil Walling
27 Posted 09/08/2014 at 12:26:22

And Brent @ 23, I think his English is awry. To detrain, you would have to make positive effort, say, eating like a pig or boozing .I think he meant that the lad had not had long enough 'to become 'untrained'.

Where are the language experts like Eugene when you need them?

Paul Andrews
28 Posted 09/08/2014 at 12:37:19

Slightly embellished story about the content of the sign there Phil.

Still, if it makes a good punch line........

Harold Matthews
29 Posted 09/08/2014 at 13:05:25

With the world watching, Roberto deliberately talks in riddles. Life with wily old Dave Whelan taught him plenty.

Patrick Murphy
30 Posted 09/08/2014 at 13:19:52

Phil - It's a good job that the Dark side didn't have a similar sign in their half for the game with Chelsea.

Phil Walling
31 Posted 09/08/2014 at 13:28:56

Always the pedant, Paul.

Anyway, you should never let the truth get in the way of a good story !

Jackie Barry
32 Posted 09/08/2014 at 13:37:11

To be fair it's not as if either player doesn't know what it's like to play for Everton. Roberto is a little more sneaky about things from what I have seen and it kind of leaves us all on the edge of our seats. Looks like the Atsu deal is done and it wouldn't surprise me if one player comes in before the first game and possibly another before the window closes. Saw someone mention the other day that this is the most exciting Everton team for some time, have to agree in all fairness.

Brent Stephens
33 Posted 09/08/2014 at 14:11:49

Harold #29 - yes, I'm sure that Roberto, as all managers, don't always say what they are thinking / planning. So when people say "Roberto SAID..." - it's pinch of salt time.

Antony Matthews
34 Posted 10/08/2014 at 22:37:00

Wasn't Lukaku training with Anderlecht while his future was sorted? Maybe this is what Roberto was insinuating when he was saying about Rom "detraining". He's obviously not had the rest like others.

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