Sagna on road to recovery

Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna is set to edge a step closer to a first-team return with the Gunners by turning out for their U21 side on Monday.

The French full-back is due to figure in a meeting with Reading as he takes his first tentative steps back into competitive action. Sagna has spent 12 long months on the sidelines after enduring a nightmare run of injuries. He has suffered two broken legs - one against Tottenham Hotspur and one against Norwich City - and could be forgiven for thinking that he was cursed. It has been a long road back for Sagna, but he now has light at the end of the tunnel.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said on Friday: "He needs some games because he has not played for five months," "He has been in training for a week now so he should be capable of playing for an hour."

Sagna is looking forward to getting back out on the field, in a side which could also contain Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong, and took to Twitter to say: "After focusing on rehab..I'm finally back on tweeter...before being back on the pitch later.Great day for me."