Arsene Wenger Welcomes Aaron Ramsey Return

Arsenal's Premier League title and Champions League ambitions have been given a significant boost with the news that midfielder Aaron Ramsey is back in training and could feature in the trip Everton this weekend.

The Welshman hasn't played for the Gunners since the Boxing Day win over West Ham United, having spent three months out while the club's title hopes have dwindled.

Arsene Wenger's side have slipped to seven points behind leaders Liverpool and are looking over their shoulder at Sunday's opponents Everton who trail Arsenal by four points with a game in hand in pursuit of the fourth Champions League place.

And therefore the Frenchman is thrilled to see Ramsey back from a long-term thigh problem after he netted 10 goals in the first five months of the campaign, while Spanish full-back Nacho Monreal also returns.

"Both Ramsey & Monreal will be back in the squad for Sunday," Wenger told a pre-match press conference on Friday. "Aaron's been out for a long time and only joined in yesterday. He really drives the team forward, box to box, an area where we are short.

"It's a bit like [having a new signing] yes because we have somebody back who can help the team to be successful

"That's impossible to measure [the impact injuries have had on the title race]. It's not one injury that's affected us, it's injuries combined players that can create and score goals. You can't say you have exactly the same creativity and goal scoring opportunities you had before."

Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil remain out of action and they are joined on the side-lines by Kieran Gibbs and Serge Gnabry, who are nursing respective ankle and knee problems.

A fifth successive Premier League win has thrust Everton into contention for a Champions League spot and now on the coattails of Arsenal could exert significant pressure on the north Londoners' position in the top four at Goodison Park this weekend.

Despite being swept aside in the FA Cup last month, The Toffees produced an excellent performance in the 1-1 league draw at the Emirates Stadium in December and Wenger is wary of the threat Roberto Martinez's side possesses.

"They are a good side, that's why they are where they are," the Arsenal boss added. "In the first game we were caught back at the end."