Arsenal received a huge boost after Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna successfully completed a full 90 minutes in a friendly at London Colney Wednesday.
In a game in which the likes of Andrey Arshavin and John Terry took part in, the two long-term injury absentees played the entire game as Chelsea XI ran out 2-0 winners over Arsenal XI. The result far from matters though, with Arsene Wenger certain to be encouraged by his key players' display.
It is believed, Sagna could well be a part of the squad for the Champions League game against Schalke, with Wilshere still, most probably, likely to be held back a little further, considering he has not played a competitive senior game for well over a year.
Arsenal, who have made a steady start to the season so far, will welcome Wilshere back with open arms, with the youngster further bolstering an already enviable midfield.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta, one of the midfielders who has shone wonderfully well in Wilshere's absence, admitted he might go into management once his career winds down, but is yet to make a firm decision.
Arteta is still only 30-year-old, and the way he is playing he still has quite a few good years left in him, but the Spaniard taking over the reins of a club might be something that Gunners fans will see in the future, maybe even a role at the Emirates.
"I don't know (if I will be a manager), it's a big thing nowadays because it's really demanding," Arteta told the club's official website.
"I think the job has changed a lot in the last few years - you can see the stress and the responsibility managers have. Sometimes people don't recognise that. To manage a group of players nowadays with 10 or 15 different countries involved with different personalities is a difficult thing to do.
"I have thought about it a lot and we will see what happens one day. It's still early for that (decision). Obviously you're starting to get a few things from different managers and players and a key thing is they can help.
"Sometimes on the pitch as well you think about things that can be done better or in a different way, or how you play depending on if you're winning and drawing and what the team needs to do."
Arteta believes man management is a critical role of a coach. "If you have 24 players, everyone is different," he added. "One of the biggest mistakes I've seen is when you treat everyone the same.
"People say 'everyone has to be the same,' they have to be the same in certain roles, but everyone is different.
"The way you approach someone is very important. If you shout at someone, it depends on their character -- you may kill him for the next 45 minutes.
"Sometimes you need to pinch someone because you know he has the character. He can involve the rest if he pushes and raises his level in the game. You have to recognise those characters and I think that's a very difficult part of football management."
