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| Roberto Martinez is "not aware" of a transfer request by John Stones |
ROBERTO MARTINEZ insists he will have no hesitation including John Stones in his team to face Manchester City despite Chelsea’s continuing courtship.
Chelsea had a £30million bid for the England defender rejected on Monday and handing in a transfer request is now an option for Stones, who is keen to move to the champions.
Martinez intimated no request has been made as yet with the ongoing debate over Stones’ future beginning to irritate him as he prepares for the visit of Manchester City to Goodison Park on Sunday.
Asked if the centre-back had submitted a formal request, the Everton manager said: “I am not aware of that.
“I have no hesitation in playing John. Not at all.
“It is not an area we need to concentrate on. In 48 hours, we are going to play against the team that is top of the league. My only concern is preparing the game.
“There is no such situation. You want to go on and on and on and I can understand it. I said all along that I don’t think it is healthy for anyone that you have transfer window open during the season.
“The discussion we are having now is wrong. It is so wrong.
“The latest situation is going to be exactly the same. It has been the hot topic of this transfer window. But the focus is the game against, Manchester City at the weekend.
“They are the sharpest team in the league, having started in the best possible way.”
Rather than losing players, Martinez is working on signing River Plate defender Ramiro Funes Mori and Dynamo Kiev attacker Andriy Yarmolenko.
“We are working hard to try and get a couple of individuals in,” said Martinez.
“We have been very consistent throughout and said we are going to use the window in our favour. In terms of talking about the squad and what we spend it is better to wait until the end of the window.
“It was important to retain the core of our team. The signings have to add something to the group and be quality additions.
“We are doing a lot of work and we have highlighted the players who would fit in well at the football club, but there is nothing to announce. The fans will be the first to find out.”
Kevin Mirallas is fit to return against City, but Leighton Baines, Tony Hibbert, Darron Gibson and Steven Pienaar remain absent.
“Manchester City are a very good side. They are fully refreshed. They have added new faces and kept the core of the team that won the league two seasons ago,” added Martinez, who knows a win will give Everton their best start to a league campaign for a decade.
“I expect the same at the weekend. They are in a very, very good moment, the last two games 3-0s against tough opposition. But after Southampton, we are back home and looking to the backing from our fans.”
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