Roberto Martinez has revealed that Arouna Kone will start Everton's Europa League match with FC Krasnodar on Thursday following a year on the sidelines.
The 31-year-old striker, who joined the Toffees from Wigan Athletic in 2013, has not played since last November because of a serious knee ligament injury.
Everton have already secured progress to the knockout stages as Group E winners and so Martinez intends to rotate his squad, and is delighted to have the "unique" Ivorian available again.
"To have someone like Arouna back is priceless," he told reporters. "I cannot describe the excitement we have to have Arouna back.
"He has been so unfortunate with the injury. All we want is to have him full fit and recovered until the end of the season.
"He is quite unique in what he can offer in the squad. He is very different to Samuel Eto'o and Romelu Lukaku and in that respect, with the amount of games we have, we need every option possible and Arouna gives us that. I'm very much looking forward to seeing that tomorrow."
The Spaniard added that Bryan Oviedo, another long-term injury absentee, as well as Antonin Alcaraz, Steven Pienaar, Joel Robles, Luke Garbutt and Tyias Browning will also be involved in Russia.
Joe Fish
