Everton manager David Moyes is adamant he would never consider selling Leon Osman or Tony Hibbert, saying: "They know what the club's about".
Osman has not been certain of first-team football at Goodison Park this season, but has earned more opportunities since the sale of Steven Pienaar and impressed in Saturday's win over Sunderland.
The versatile Hibbert has found it even more difficult to feature in the current campaign and has made just 11 appearances to suggest that he is not a prominent part of Moyes' plans.
But, ahead of Tuesday night's FA Cup meeting with Reading, Everton's manager has dismissed suggestions that he could offload the pair in the summer.
Moyes told the Daily Post: "We've never given up on Ossie.
"As long as I'm here, Ossie will be here - and Tony Hibbert - as long as they want to be here.
"They know what the club's about. They know what's required and they know what I'm about and from that point of view I think they're really important."
