Everton's Leon Osman hopes for Europa League progress

Everton midfielder Leon Osman has said that he is desperate to see the club progress in the Europa League after moving closer to a first-team comeback.

The 33-year-old, who has been out of action since early December with an ankle problem, is expected to make his comeback in an Under-21s game this week.

Everton face Young Boys in the last 32 of the Europa League this week, and Osman says that he is keen to experience European football when he returns to first-team duties.

"It's important for us, the Europa League," he told Everton's official website. "We've now got into the knockout stages of this competition, so we certainly want to have a go at winning it.

"This is our first two-legged affair, good old fashioned European knockout football and we're confident we can do well.

"We've got to go to a good Young Boys team on a different pitch to the ones we're used to and that will be a test in itself, but hopefully over the two legs we've got enough to beat them."

The first leg against Young Boys takes place in Switzerland on Thursday.