Having the fully-fit duo of Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman in the Everton backline again is a huge boost for the season run-in, says Phil Jagielka.

Over the past three seasons, the Toffees have taken an average of 1.7 points per game when the full-backs have played, as opposed to an average of 1.2 when either has been out of the side.

Baines and Coleman have started Everton's past two matches - the 2-0 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion and last weekend's 2-1 success at Stoke City - having both recovered from long-term injuries.

Right-back Coleman returned to the Blues line-up on 31 January for the Goodison victory against Leicester City for the first time since breaking his leg while captaining the Republic of Ireland last March.

Baines, meanwhile, was available to manager Sam Allardyce for the clash against the Seagulls, having been out since 26 November with a calf injury.

The long-term Club servants have taken no time to impress again, helping the Blues take a maximum haul from the two games they have played together to put Allardyce's men three points behind seventh-placed Burnley in the Premier League table.

While the likes of Cuco Martina and Jonjoe Kenny have stepped in and performed admirably in their respective absences, Jagielka believes it is a huge boost to have Baines and Coleman back on the defensive flanks.

“The boys who have played instead of them have done a fantastic job but the familiarity of everyone playing together, especially as a back four, is crucial,” said the skipper, who joined Everton in the summer of 2007 along with Baines and has been teammates with Coleman since the Irishman signed from Sligo Rovers in 2009.

“We have played a lot together – we probably know what each of us is going to do before we do it – it is that simple and we each know the other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“Jonjoe, in particular, has done fantastically well and he has a great career ahead of him, but it is all a learning curve.

“It is nice to have those faces back. Bainesy is so composed down the left-hand side with an extra bit of quality, Seamus as well. You can see that we become more balanced with them in the team.”

Given their injuries, Baines and Coleman were brought back into the first-team fold by manager Allardyce in impressive fashion with both players lasting the full 90 minutes in their respective comebacks. Coleman, in particular, came through his first test after 10 months out – an Under-23s Premier League Cup clash against Portsmouth at Goodison Park – with flying colours in January.

Jagielka paid tribute to the Club's Performance Department and the duo's drive for getting ready for match action after spells on the sidelines.

“The medical team have done brilliantly [to help them back],” added Jagielka. “I am not surprised because I know the two characters very well. They have been itching to play for a long time.

“I went to watch Seamus in his first Under-23s game and he didn’t look rusty - he told me he felt it but he didn’t look it!

“That is the way they are - great lads and ready for action whenever they can be. They have been desperate to get back in the team, especially as we weren’t performing as well as we can, and it must have been frustrating for them to sit back and watch.

“It is testament to them and the staff in the medical team that they have come back with not a tremendous amount of practice and game-time to complete the minutes that they have.”