Everton manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed he will have loan star Romelu Lukaku back for their Premier League encounter with West Ham on March 1.
The Belgium international has been out with an ankle injury but has recovered well and is back training with the first team.
Lukaku has been denied a swifter return to top-flight action, as Everton take on his parent club at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and the terms of the striker’s deal dictate he can’t face Jose Mourinho’s men.
Having spent three weeks out on the sidelines, Martinez has been pleased by Lukaku’s recovery and is looking forward to having the youngster back available for clash with the Hammers at Goodison Park.
He said: “Romelu Lukaku is fully fit now and it’s just a matter of making sure that we get him back to his level of match fitness that he needs.
“From a medical point of view, he’s fit.
“It helps in a way that he’s not available for this weekend because this game may have been a little bit too early for him to be involved with the team.
“But now we’ve got nearly two weeks to make sure that he’s fully fit for the next home game and that’s very much a realistic target.”
In the meantime the Toffees will have to do without Lukaku for their trip to the capital on Saturday when they face Chelsea.
Everton are 5.85 to get the three points and 1.55 to come away from Stamford Bridge with a defeat.
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