Roberto Martinez wont rest Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku

Roberto Martinez says that he would not consider resting the likes of Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku unless absolutely necessary or if the players are suffering from injury.

He was presented with the option of resting these important players for the game against Southampton this weekend. It would help Martinez field a fresh starting line-up for the back-to-back important clashes coming up next week. Everton are up against Liverpool in Merseyside derby followed by the FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester United at the new Wembley. Both these games are extremely important for the club in the context of the disappointing league season.

Everton have struggled to even maintain a top 10 position in the table despite boasting players like Lukaku and Barkley. These are players who have been courted by the likes of United, Chelsea, and City. Several more big teams are after them, but Martinez has been unable to use these names to get consistent results in the league. However, there is a chance of redemption when the club take on Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday night. Martinez says that since Lukaku andBarkley are young, they have the ability to recover 100% within 48 hours. However, these players may miss action against Southampton due to injury issues and not because they require rest.

“It is not resting them (Lukaku and Barkley) - they have knocks.I wouldn’t rest them. They are young bodies and recover really well from game to game. As long as they don’t train physically high between games they recover, they go back to 100 per cent after 48 hours. Ross played with a knock against Crystal Palace, he got another knock and Rom stretched his groin slightly. It is unnecessary if they are not 100 per cent,” said the Everton manager.