LIVERPOOL -- Uruguayan striker Leandro Rodriguez is set to make his senior Everton debut at Reading in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday, manager Roberto Martinez says.
Rodriguez, 22, moved to Merseyside from River Plate Montevideo in August for £500,000, but had been expected to spend most of the season featuring as an over-age player for the club's under-21 side.
He scored for them in a 3-0 Lancashire Senior Cup win over Preston on Sept. 7, and then again in a 1-1 U21 Premier League draw against Sunderland seven days later, prompting Martinez to consider him for the third-round cup trip to face Championship opposition.
"I think Leandro is ahead of his development in terms of what I expected," Martinez said. "I expected him to take five to six months in order to be ready for the British game.
"I've been impressed with him, not just in training, but in the games he's been playing with the U21s. He's scored in both games.
"He's always shown an incredible street footballer's way of playing the game, which has probably helped him to be ahead of the problem that we expected.
"So he will be involved. He will be in the squad, and then it will just be down to the needs of the game and how everything goes to see Leandro or not."
Martinez, meanwhile, has indicated that he will not appeal against the red card shown to Belgian winger Kevin Mirallas during Saturday's 0-0 Premier League draw at Swansea.
Mirallas will miss his side's next three matches, including the home derby against Liverpool on Oct. 4, having been dismissed for a studs-up challenge on Modou Barrow just 136 seconds after coming on as a substitute.
Martinez defended his winger, but said that there was no chance of getting the decision reversed.
"We were really disappointed to be on the end of that decision," he said. "The truth is that it was his first challenge in the game. It looks worse than it is.
"Kevin is never looking at the opposing player. It's not that there is an intent. It's not a malicious challenge but his foot is high. It's a very harsh red card.
"To be able to appeal and get the decision overturned is difficult. I don't think we've got a chance to do that.
"The red card is very harsh. I don't think it was the right decision. But in the same way, understanding how the system works, I don't think we've got a chance to overturn it.
"So we need to feel hurt with the decision and support Kevin, because he showed the right intention. He wanted to help the team and was just over-keen to win the ball. Nothing else.
"He stayed on his feet. It wasn't a reckless challenge. His foot was a little high but it was his intention to win the ball. He was very unfortunate to get the red card."