Season › 2013-14 › News Martinez on cup fallout and injuries Lyndon Lloyd , 12 March, 0comments | Jump to most recent Jagielka won't be rushed back Roberto Martinez spoke to evertontv yesterday and discussed the mood at Finch Farm in the wake of the FA Cup disappointment at Arsenal last weekend and the condition of Phil Jagielka and Steven Pienaar. The manager expressed how much hurt there was in the dressing room after the 4-1 defeat at the Emirates which ended Everton's involvement in the competition but he was heartened by the reaction which he feels proves how much the players care and wanted to progress. "There are aspects that we need to learn from and make sure we carry on developing and learning from those experiences," the Spaniard said. "Now we need to switch our concentration to the League. We've got 33 points to fight for... and it's an essential part of our season." Looking ahead to Saturday's visit of Cardiff City, Martinez explained that he will be assessing Jagielka and Pienaar this week, as well as a couple of other players who picked up what he described as minor "knocks and bruises"" The captain has missed two matches with a hamstring strain and Martinez is keen not to rush him back and risk more serious damage, insisting that the club's medical staff will ensure that he is 100% fit before returning him to action. "Phil is recovering well and now it's a case of assessing him day by day. He is the kind of player who at 90% will push himself forward to help the team but we need to make sure, with the number of matches we have ahead — 11 games in nine weeks is a very demanding period — that we protect him and make sure he isn't rushed back too early. Pienaar, meanwhile, had to be withdrawn from the game at the Emirates with a knock of his own but Martinez was confident that his injury was nothing to be concerned about. Quotes sourced from evertontv About these ads © ToffeeWeb