Roberto Martinez reckons Arouna Kone is now ready to make an impact at Everton.
Kone completed the full 90 minutes in the Blues’ final Europa League group fixture as he made his first competitive appearance since sustaining an injury in October 2013 and Martinez saw enough to think he’s now ready to challenge for a first team place.
Martinez: “I was very impressed with Arouna – he looked sharp and lively
“Aside from the fact he played 90 minutes, I was pleased because he looked powerful and really sharp every time he turned.
“His feet were really sharp, which is something that is great to see after seeing him out for such a long time.
“We are very, very pleased. He got into good positions and his hold-up play was really strong
“Arouna and Bryan are two major boosts for us because it has been more than a year now that we have missed them.
“It has been long, long period in which they have both had to work really hard but I think we’ve given them enough time to feel confident that they are fully recovered.
“They feel like they can go into challenges, play 90 minutes and really push themselves. That is a real positive because it has not been easy for either of them.”