Everton boss Roberto Martinez: ‘Ross Barkley at a different level’

Leandro Rodriguez is chomping at the bit to make his Everton debut against Reading on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez arrived at Goodison Park this summer from River Plate Montevideo in a deal worth £500,000 but has only featured for the Blues at under-21 level.

Meanwhile, Everton will not to appeal the red card picked up by Kevin Mirallas at Swansea and Martinez says the tackle was not out of frustration at his lack of game time.

“It’s been frustrating for him because he wants to be playing and starting games but the manager has spoken about being successful and needing the whole squad, and Gerri is part of that”.

“I have been very impressed, not just in training but with the under-21s as well”.

Reading boss Steve Clarke has resisted the temptation to make too many alterations to his lineup in the club’s previous two ties in the competition, against Colchester and Portsmouth.

That will come as a boost to Martinez, whose side will do battle in the Merseyside derby in two weeks’ time.

The forward again threatened when played through in the 22nd minute but despite managing to send a low shot towards goal, he struggled to connect with it as he would have hoped and Robles responded with a routine save before the loose ball was scrambled away. I think he is a completely different player from what we saw last season or a couple of seasons back.

The defender was substituted just four minutes into the second half of Everton’s 2-1 win over Reading after picking up a knock but his manager said the decision was merely a precaution.

“We are talking about players that haven’t had big roles yet like Ola John, Lucas Piazon, Paolo Hurtado, Simon Cox and then you are looking at the more later performances where you had bright players like Nick Blackman and Matej Vydra, and even the suspended Orlando Sa”.

But Everton’s escape was short-lived as Blackman bundled in at the far post for his seventh goal of the season to give Reading a deserved lead.

“But we don’t want to lose what we created at Barnsley“.

“Leandro is a very interesting story because his dad was a footballer as well but he became a dentist and all his life has been a dentist”, Martinez said.

He continued: “It’s a harsh red card”.