Nasri set to return as Wenger hails Wilshire

Samir Nasri is expected to be back in the Arsenal squad for the crucial clash with Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The French midfielder has been missing since the 1-0 win over Wigan earlier this month because of an ankle injury but, according to coach Arsene Wenger, he is almost fully fit.

However, Kolo Toure is struggling to be fit and will almost certainly miss out.

"There is a 95% chance that Nasri will be available against Liverpool but a five per cent chance that Toure will come back,'' Wenger told Arsenal's website.

"We also have a problem with Nicklas Bendtner who picked up a knee injury in training.''

Meanwhile, Wenger is convinced teenager Jack Wilshere has all the attributes to go on and become an Arsenal legend in the mould of Dennis Bergkamp.

Wilshere became the youngest player to represent Arsenal in league football when he came off the bench at Blackburn in September and the 16-year-old scored his first senior goal as part of the youthful Gunners side which ripped Sheffield United apart during their Carling Cup run.

Now the Arsenal manager is in no doubt the Hertfordshire-born midfielder - who joined the club aged nine - has all the traits to become a hero at the Emirates.

"I believe he will end up a central midfielder, just off the striker in the Bergkamp role,'' Wenger said. "I am convinced he will have tremendous penetrative power and we forget that this boy is only 16 and already has so much power - you give him four more years and he will be massively strong.

"He can find the final ball and can also score goals. He is a passionate and committed guy, he is not afraid of tackles and you would want this type of player to finish off central.

"But I would not like to put too much pressure on him because of the expectation level. That is one of the problems you have when you are talented and very young- Theo Walcott went through that.

"At the start there is a lot of enthusiasm around players, and suddenly afterwards people say, 'Oh he is not as good as we thought he would be', there is a lot of scepticism around the player. He has to survive at the top level and it is not easy.

"Theo coped well with that and I am confident we can surround Jack well enough to deal with it.''