Arsenal forward Robin van Persie has revealed he is back in light training and is aiming to return to action before the end of the season.
Van Persie has been on the sidelines since suffering a serious ankle injury in November when playing for Holland against Italy.
It was feared the skilful forward would miss the rest of the campaign, but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger revealed over the weekend he was hopeful van Persie could return for the final few games of the campaign.
Van Persie has now set his sights on returning to the fold next month to help Arsenal in their bid to win the Premier League and Champions League.
"I am medically fit, but physically I have to gain," he told Dutch television programme Studio Voetbal. "Only then can I train with the full group.
"I'm not there yet but I've left a difficult period behind. For a few weeks I've been training with the ball and it looks good.
"I still hope I can take part in the final phase of the league and hopefully the Champions League. This has been my goal from the beginning.
"My first goal is to play for Arsenal. When I said that a few months ago, I looked crazy - but as it stands now, that will happen. Only then can I think about the World Cup."
