Everton manager Roberto Martinez has backed Arouna Kone to quickly become a key player this season following a long battle with a knee injury.

Kone, who moved to the club from Wigan Athletic last summer, missed the majority of the previous campaign due to the injury he picked up last October, but Martinez insists that the striker is a big part of his plans.

"He is not the forgotten man in our eyes," the Spaniard told the Liverpool Echo. "He is a figure that is very much in our plans and he is an understood figure because he has gone through such a horrible time.

"His appreciation of the players around him is quite impressive for a target-man because you don't normally see that type of appreciation.

"He is working really, really hard to be himself and show what he can do to help the team."

Kone made just six appearances for the Toffees last season.