Everton left-back Leighton Baines is edging closer to first-team action as he plans to play in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break.
The 30-year-old has not played this season after undergoing two separate operations on his ankle.
Baines has been taking part in training but has not been declared fit enough to feature in this Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham United.
"We have a got a game that will be behind closed doors in the international break and Leighton will be playing a part in that," Martinez said in today's press conference. "He needs to have that confidence when making blocks and the contact you can get in a football game.
"You only get that by those sorts of exercises because training isn't good enough in order to test yourself, so we will do that behind closed doors. That's why I feel the international break is going to be a really important period to get that."
The Merseyside outfit are currently ninth in the league table.
Danielle Joynson
