Vermaelen raring to go after injury nightmare

ARSENAL centre-back Thomas Vermaelen has said he is fit after recovering from the Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him for seven months.

The Belgian centre-half came through unscathed after completing 90 minutes for the reserves on Thursday to mark his return to action after more than seven months on the sidelines. Wenger revealed yesterday the 25-year-old will not face Manchester United at Emirates Stadium tomorrow but Vermaelen is hopeful he will feature before the end of the season.

“I’m fit at the moment, I feel great and, in training, I don’t feel any problems. So physically I feel good,” he said.

“It’s up to the boss, he makes the decisions. I’m available at the moment so I hope I will be back in the squad soon and that is my target.

“The injury is fine, I didn’t feel anything and played the whole 90 minutes without any problems. I’m really pleased with it.’’