Campbell targets City date for Arsenal return

Sol Campbell is expected to play for Arsenal's reserves on Monday and could be back in the first team for next weekend's visit to Manchester City.

Sol Campbell is expected to play for Arsenal's reserves on Monday and could be back in the first team for next weekend's visit to Manchester City.

The centre-back has finally recovered from the Achilles injury which has kept him out of action since Euro 2004, and yesterday the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, said: "He has had two or three weeks training with the ball and this is great news for Arsenal - he is back to normal now and it is healed. I don't know if I will put him in for the game at Manchester City, I shall wait and see, but the last game he played was for England which was quite a while ago so he is hungry to get back."

Campbell's injury was aggravated by playing for England in Portugal, and Wenger - who complained about not being informed of the problem until after England had returned home - claimed that it might have become "chronic" had Arsenal not taken it seriously.

Francesc Fabregas has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal of an undisclosed length. "I'm delighted to be pledging my long-term future to Arsenal," the 17-year-old Spanish midfielder said. "My first year here has been like a dream."