Arsenal will welcome back Cesc Fábregas after three months out with a knee injury for tomorrow's Premier League clash against Manchester City, but they will have to make do without leading scorer Robin van Persie.
Fábregas has not featured since 21 December after sustaining medial ligament damage to his knee while playing against Liverpool. However, along with fit-again England winger Theo Walcott and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, the Gunners captain is now back in contention as Arsène Wenger takes his men into the defining period of the campaign.
The Arsenal manager has, though, been left counting the cost of the international break. Van Persie returned early from the Holland camp, but has failed to recover from a groin injury, while fellow striker Eduardo is also out with a similar problem.
Midfielder Abou Diaby (thigh) is another who will not feature against City, Samir Nasri returned with a virus and Carlos Vela has had to make a long journey back from Mexico duty.
Denmark forward Nicklas Bendtner, though, should be fit after concern over a knee problem, while Adebayor scored on his first game back since the start of February with a hamstring injury as Togo beat Cameroon in their World Cup qualifier – leaving Wenger with a mixed bag of news.
"Three players are out and there is a question mark over Nasri, but Fábregas, Adebayor and Walcott are all back and available in the squad," said the Arsenal manager. "Nicklas texted us on Wednesday night and said everything was all right with him, but Carlos Vela, I count out because he lands on Friday morning at 10.30am. However if needed he can be in the squad."
The visit of City is the first fixture of an action-packed April for the Gunners, who also face Villarreal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and have an FA Cup semi-final date at Wembley with Chelsea in addition to three other Premier League games - which include a trip to Anfield.
Arsenal will be looking to extend an unbeaten run of 16 league matches which has moved them back into the top four - but Wenger knows Fábregas cannot be expected to be firing on all cylinders at the heart of the side straight away.
"Cesc is ready to play again, but he needs three games to be back [at his best]," Wenger said. "We are due to play eight games in 25 days, which are all decisive."
Even though the Gunners have now clawed themselves back into the Champions League places as Aston Villa have faltered, Wenger's men remain 10 points adrift of leaders Manchester United, who have a game in hand, and six behind third-placed Chelsea.
Defender Mikaël Silvestre won four Premier League medals during his time at Old Trafford and believes Arsenal's current crop of talented youngsters can soon be competing for the title once again.
"We have got to believe that we can challenge next season," said Silvestre, who signed from United in August, and is fit again following a calf injury which sidelined him since January. "If we build on this season, which is not finished yet, there is a lot of reason to think that we must challenge from day one for the title."
