Everton's Roberto Martinez hopeful Ross Barkley will be fit for Arsenal clash

Everton manager Roberto Martinez is hopeful that Ross Barkley will be fit to face Arsenal on Sunday, but is yet to make a final decision regarding the midfielder's availability.

The 20-year-old was taken off with a calf problem during the half-time interval of Everton's 3-1 win over Fulham last Sunday.

"Ross had a knock on his calf and he is recovering well from it," Martinez told Everton TV. "He is such a powerful boy that he coped with that knock well but obviously it was a problem straight after when the body gets cold.

"He's such a quick healer and a young man so we hope he is going to recover in time for the game on Sunday. Over the next three or four days we will have a clearer idea of where he is and we are going to treat every day as it comes."

If Everton win this weekend, they will be one point behind fourth-placed Arsenal in the Premier League table with a game in hand.