Injury updates from the manager

Leon Osman just does not have the legs for a start anymore.

Not many at his age and with his injury profile in the league.

Hibbo has served EFC honorably. Good luck to him.

I've liked both guys over the years, Pienaar was one of my favourite players between 2007-2010 with his return on loan also giving us a massive shot in the arm for a short spell.

Sadly for more than 2 years now he's offered nothing at all, you may as well say he's the one player who's been here for the whole of Martinez's time so far but has never really had a chance to work with him properly. He hasn't scored a goal since October 2013 I believe!

Tony Hibbert, much like Pienaar, barely worked with Martinez as part of the first-team plans, great tackler, far better defender than Coleman but obviously not as good going forward. You get the feeling, even if he was fit, he would still be behind Browning.

Tony Hibbert... A thing of the past, a real ornament and symbol of the David Moyes era, especially the first 5 years or so. My regret is never getting to see Hibbo score for Everton in a proper match, what a shame!

As for Oviedo, well you get the feeling he's already achieved his greatest moment in an Everton shirt and, it's unlikely to get better than it already has.

I'm sure we all remember when, earlier this season, Roberto put John Stones straight into the team after his injury and Stones clearly wasn't match-fit and took three games at least to get back to something like normal, during which time we dropped points, and looked totally shaky at the back. Clearly, he needed easing back into the team with maybe a couple of substitute appearances and then an hour at a time for another one or two games to build up that match fitness and co-ordination.

Currently, Stones and Funes Mori are doing well together, coinciding with our best run of form so far this season. Funes Mori is looking more assured with each game he plays and frankly has a better eye for the right ball to play going forward than Jags, who is entrenched in the Martinez 'twenty passes to cross the half-way line' syndrome.

If Martinez drops Funes Mori the minute Jags is supposedly fit, without easing Jags back gently, it could prove disastrous, the league is so tight that two bad results can see a team dropping a disproportionate number of places in the table, plus to do so would very much negate Martinez's recent statements about competition for places.

If Stones and Funes Mori are doing a great job at the back, then captain or not, Jagielka has to prove he is in better shape than one or both of them in order to displace either of them from the team. I honestly think Funes Mori is the real deal and the future of Everton at the back and sadly it has to be said, Phil Jagielka is not getting any younger and his legs don't pack the same stamina or fitness potentials of Funes Mori's.

It may not be the greatest need for Jags, but his injury nay have given us the chance to see where the future lies for us in the CB positions. Despite all that I can see Martinez 'doing a Robles' and axing Funes Mori the second Jags is reported as fit, without making him earn his place back. That would not be fair on Funes Mori, (already one Player of the Month award, a Man of the Match award, and his first goal for the team).

I honestly can't see an Argentine international being happy sitting on the bench at Everton for long with World Cup qualifiers coming up for his country, for whom he has just established himself in the team, to the extent he is keeping players like Demichelis out of the national side.

Roberto needs to think long and hard before tinkering with a new and settled centre back pairing who are helping us climb the league with each passing week.

I'm not sure I'd stretch as far to say Stones and Funes Mori are doing "a great job" together.

It's been okay but, for me, both guys still lose too many headers – have we forgotten about the Bournemouth game?

Okay, it wasn't solely down to our two centre-halves but when opponents keep getting free headers inside the penalty area, you are looking for big central defenders to meet more of them than our lads do.

They looked solid against an abject Aston Villa team but Sunderland they were all over the place too.

I never thought I'd reach the end of your comments, but interesting reading. I think it's less about who and more about attitude and desire to win every single match.

Someone help me, I regard Cleverley as an honest pro, but what exactly does he bring?? A fit Gibson for me every time, ahead of McCarthy and Barry.

There, I've said it!! I would love to see him reach his pinnacle.

I think in time he will develop into a decent Premier League defender but I think some people are going a bit OTT on him at the moment.

Funes Mori has done okay but nothing to warrant a lot of the OTT comments on here. He takes far too many risks and positionally out to sea at times. Still has a lot to learn.

Agreed. I must say, the lad has done well considering he's not had time to settle as a lot of players need. That said, he has been suspect at times.

Hope his comments have been blown out of proportion as River Plate won't give us £9m back for him!