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Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic has made it his aim to play a Premier League game before the end of the season.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has face a long road back to full fitness after suffering a cruciate ligament injury playing against Manchester United at Old Trafford in Wayne Rooney’s testimonial match last August.

Blues fans took to Besic because of his full-blooded approach but he has been forced to ease his way back into proceedings.

He said: “I would play a game now for Everton’s first team but there are people who know better and they will take care of me.

“Probably I will play one, two or three games for the Under-23s.

“If I get a some Premier League games that would be great but I’m not looking too far. I just look from day to day and train until the medical staff say I am ready.”

Besic has revealed that the club’s medical staff have been taking a cautious approach to his rehabilitation after admitting that he’s still not “100% in training.”

The 24-year-old has been strengthening his knee with gym work and one-on-one outdoor sessions with members of Everton’s fitness team.

Although Besic is now into a fourth week of training alongside his team-mates, he is still unable to participate in full sessions.

He said: “The first training [with the squad] was in Dubai and that was a big thing for me. I was smiling all day.

“I’ve had more sessions now and I’m progressing every week. I’m still not 100% but that will come in time.

“One-to-one training gets boring after time but that’s how it is and I have to go through this process. Now I’m with the team and I’m feeling really happy.

“I am doing passing drills and possession games and progressing until I can train fully. That should be soon.

“If you ask me, I would have trained straight away but the medical team didn’t let me. They know better and have taken care of me. Soon I will be able to do 100% of the training.”