Van Persie still a month away from first team return

ARSENE WENGER has revealed that Dutch striker Robin Van Persie will be back at the club this week from rehab, but insisted that he is still a month away from returning to the first team.

“I think he will be back this week,” Wenger said yesterday. “We sent our fitness coach out to Holland where he has been having his rehabilitation. Physically he looks very sharp but we aim at least to wait a month.”

Wenger is also adamant that William Gallas’ injury will not affect talks over his future at Arsenal.

The French centre back has been negotiating a new deal at Emirates Stadium in recent months but he has not played since February 10 after sustaining a calf problem. Gallas was close to a comeback against Porto last week but suffered a set-back in training and will now miss the next two games at least.

“It is a muscle problem,” said Wenger. “If it was a joint problem, his knees ageing, then I would say ‘hmmmm’. But it is a minor muscle problem and we are confident.

“He is seeing a specialist. He is in a rehabilitation centre in the south of France. He went one week ago. He comes back on Wednesday. I have spoken to the doctor he spoke to and the progress is not as quick as I expected it to be. We need to be a little patient. He had two recurrences of the calf so we have to be more patient than before.”