Arsenal FC

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• Manager:Arsene Wenger

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Henry return delights Arsene

03 Jan 2007 - 08:59:49

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hailed a refreshed Thierry Henry as the Frenchman capped his return to action with a goal in Tuesday's 4-0 win against ten-man Charlton Athletic.

It was the 29-year-old's first appearance for the Gunners since the 2-1 defeat at Fulham at the end of November and he opened the scoring from the penalty spot against Alan Pardew's hapless side.

"He's 100 per cent fit, not 100 per cent match-fit," Wenger said of Henry after the game.

"He has worked very hard fitness-wise, and we made that plan, physically, that he could return to the squad today.

"I nearly called him back against Sheffield United (on Saturday), because we were short. We had one or two players who, on the morning of the training session, were short and couldn't travel, and I nearly called him back to Sheffield but I didn't want to rush it.

"He's in a good frame of mind because he was at the end of his physical potential and mental potential, and he is refreshed now and he worked very hard.

"Now he comes back hungry and fresh. You look across Europe, most of the players who played late in the World Cup have had problems.

"I feel overall we controlled the game. Technically it was a bit strange because it never opened up really, because they were down to 10 men and they were always worried not to concede more goals.

"So it was always played in a controlled way, pace-wise and technically. We had a great pressure on them always."