Maritnez backs Funes Mori to fill in for injured Jagielka

REUTERS – Everton summer recruit Ramiro Funes Mori is ready to fill the void left by injured captain Phil Jagielka, manager Roberto Martinez has said.

The Toffees have kept all their three Premier League clean sheets while Jagielka was playing, however, the England international will be out for two months after suffering a knee injury in the Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Arsenal.

Everton have failed to keep a clean sheet in the five appearances Funes Mori has made for the club but Martinez feels the Argentine is ready to grab his opportunity.

“That’s why you have a strong squad and everyone is working well to help the team. When you get suspensions and injuries, that’s when it opens an opportunity for someone else,” Martinez told the club’s website (www.evertonfc.com).

“Ramiro has been adapting himself to the British game really well and it has been a very natural process.

“To play in the Merseyside derby in the way he did, being able to see him adapting to the game at West Bromwich Albion, playing in the League Cup (at Reading) and connecting the way he did with John Stones against Arsenal after Jagielka’s injury, it has been very impressive.

“He’s ready to enjoy playing in the Premier League.”

Everton will look to get back to winning ways after suffering back-to-back defeats, against Manchester United and Arsenal, in the league when they welcome Sunderland on Sunday.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)