Roberto Martinez believes playing two games in as many days will only help his Everton side improve their sharpness.
The Toffees are due to face Leeds on Saturday before a number of their squad will appear in Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial against Villarreal 24 hours later.
After a bright first season in charge, Martinez’s team struggled last term as they looked to combine their domestic endeavours with playing in the Europa League.
They will have no such issues this season though and, having added the likes of Tom Cleverley and Gerard Deulofeu, will have designs on challenging for the top six again.
Everton open their campaign against Watford next Saturday in a match they are 1.67 to win, with the draw 3.75 and the newly-promoted Hornets 5.00 to cause an upset at Goodison.
Having enjoyed a decent pre-season, the Merseysiders’ boss believes facing Leeds and playing in Ferguson’s testimonial in quick succession will ensure his side are in prime condition for next weekend.
“The reason that we put the two games together was because Duncan’s testimonial is a big footballing event,” Martinez told the club’s official website.
“It’s a special moment that we all want to savour but in the same way we want to make sure every player gets 90 minutes under their belts before the start of the season.
“To be able to do it with two games, it will be perfect in terms of getting the full squad up to speed.
“We’ve got really strong opposition, which we are looking forward to, and having the other game 24 hours before will allow other players the chance to get 90 minutes before the start of the season, so we can complete what has been a very successful period to get the physical levels up to speed.”
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