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Roberto Martinez says as soon as Phil Jagielka is fully fit then he will go straight back into the Everton side.

The Blues skipper has been sidelined since the beginning of March with a hamstring problem and is expected to miss tomorrow night's game at home to Crystal Palace.

Jagielka continues to work on his recovery at Finch Farm and Martinez remains hopeful that he will return to the first-team set-up soon."

Phil is very much fully fit from a medical point of view," said Martinez.

"He's not too far away and he's been working really well this week. But, at the moment, we have the same squad as we had at Sunderland."

Phil is our club captain and as soon as he's ready he'll go straight back into the team. We need him immensely.

"He's been very much influential, even when he hasn't been on the pitch.

"He's always had a real presence in the dressing room and had plenty of wise words of advice for the young players in the squad. He's our club captain and we need him on the pitch as soon as he can be."

John Stones has excelled when deputising for Jagielka but Martinez says he will welcome the selection headache when the skipper is fit again.

"That's the type of decision you want as a manager," he added.

"You can never have enough players or players in good moments of form.

"John Stones has been phenomenal. I don't think his position in the team is going to be based on other players coming back or not. It's going to be based on how he feels and how his body is coping with this new experience.

"I would love to have that sort of problem of having three or four players in very good moments with great talent playing in the same position."

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