Boss says squad will cope against Saints without suspended duo.
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Roberto Martinez has no fresh injury concerns as Joel Robles prepares for his first Premier League start for Everton against Southampton.
Tim Howard’s red card in the Boxing Day defeat to Sunderland came with a one-game suspension, with 23-year-old Robles ready to deputise for the US veteran in Sunday’s encounter.
Gareth Barry’s fifth yellow card of the campaign also triggers a ban covering the visit of the Saints – and Martinez insists his side are capable of coping without the experienced duo.
The Blues boss said: “You get into this stage of the season, with the amount of games in such a short space of time and December being the month you can accumulate the fifth booking – it’s a real risk of getting suspended or injured, so you get tested as a squad.
“Tim has been sensational for the whole campaign and has been setting standards on a daily basis. Joel is a young man who has been very professional in waiting to help the team and now he has an opportunity to do that.
“The whole squad have been working with that mentality since day one – being ready and being supportive of each other and clearly we couldn’t be happier with the goalkeepers in the team.
“In the same way, we are missing Gareth – another experienced footballer who has set high standards. We will miss him but it becomes an opportunity for someone else. And that’s where you measure the success of a team over 10 months. It’s a great moment for the players who haven’t been playing but have been working behind the scenes.”
Martinez also provided an update on a defensive trio all returning from injury.
He added: “Leighton Baines was very close to making the squad for Boxing Day so is not too far away.
“Antolin Alcaraz is ready and fully fit. Tony Hibbert has been with the group (in training) now for three days so is fully fit in my eyes from a medical point of view. Now it’s a matter of getting him the match fitness.
“Apart from that we need to assess how everyone else is, but it’s been good news on that front.”
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