Fabregas says he is fit and ready for action

THE ARSENAL captain, Cesc Fabregas, has offered Arsene Wenger a timely boost by declaring himself fit and ready to return to the first team at Bolton Wanderers on Sunday having recovered from the hamstring problems that have dogged him in recent weeks.

The Spain international first suffered the injury during the 1-1 draw at Burnley last month but returned a fortnight later from the bench to score twice in the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa. However, he aggravated the injury in registering his second goal that afternoon – he had earlier given Arsenal the lead with a stunning long-range free-kick – and was missed the matches against Portsmouth, West Ham and Everton.

His influence is all the more required with Alex Song at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Wenger encouraged that Fabregas is ready to return at the Reebok Stadium. “You can risk your leg once, but not twice, so now we will wait for it to get better,” said Fabregas.

“My hamstring feels 100 per cent now but I played 40 minutes at Burnley, then I didn’t train at all before the Villa game. I haven’t trained since then, so I think we have to take care of it. We have a good chance to rest it for a week. There is no point rushing it and Bolton away is a reasonable target for me.

“I picked up my injury when I scored the second goal [against Villa] – just as I pulled the trigger, as you say. If I had not made the 50-yard sprint, then I probably would not have aggravated the injury. Sometimes in football you need to do it, though. I said to the physios before the game: ‘If I play, you know me, if I am on the pitch I will be everywhere.’ I cannot stay in a small area and just pass it. I like to move, forward, right, left, back. I am like that and even when I know I’m not 100 per cent fit I can’t help doing that when I’m out there.”

Arsenal are awaiting the results of a scan on Denilson’s side injury, picked up late during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Everton. The Brazilian crumpled to the turf and was carried from the field on a stretcher, though he was not feeling any discomfort an hour after the final whistle.

Guardian Service