Everton manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that he is unlikely to risk Phil Jagielka for Saturday's visit of Cardiff City in the Premier League.
The defender has missed the Toffees' last two matches due to a hamstring problem.
While admitting that Jagielka is close to a return, Martinez believes that this weekend has come too soon for the England international.
"Phil is recovering well. Now it's a matter of assessing him day by day and seeing how quickly he can get back into playing," the Spaniard is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.
"Clearly it's important he is 100%. I know he's a player who will at times put himself forward at only 90% to help the team but with the amount of games we have - it's a nine-week period with 11 games - we need Phil and every player to be fully fit.
"Whenever Phil is 100% he'll be able to help the team but we need to protect him a little bit and make sure he's not rushed back into playing too early, which could risk a further period out."
Everton are currently in seventh place in the Premier League table.
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