Leighton Baines in Everton Euro boost

LEIGHTON BAINES hopes to return from injury to help Everton with a Champions League push this Christmas.

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LEIGHTON GAME: Baines is hopeful of returning to action sooner than planned [GETTY]

Boss Roberto Martinez feared the England left-back would be out for up to six weeks after he broke a toe in the Merseyside derby on November 23.

But Baines remains optimistic he can make his comeback ahead of schedule.

“I have found it difficult not being involved. You do miss it”

Leighton Baines

He said: “The manager said early on it’s quite a broad time frame that you can be looking at.
“We thought about different things, injections and stuff, but we didn’t know whether that would set me back further, so we are just trying to let it heal naturally at the moment.
“Obviously the fixture schedule thickens up around Christmas and New Year, so you like to think you would be back and available to help the team.

“I have found it difficult not being involved. You do miss it but I have been quite lucky the last few seasons with injuries. I am trying to use the time as best I can.”
Since Baines has been out Everton have beaten Manchester United and Stoke and drawn at Arsenal, with Bryan Oviedo impressing in his place.