Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is upbeat about his return from long-term ankle injury.

Van Persie may still be four weeks away from first-team action, but he hopes the Gunners will still be chasing the Premier League and Champions League titles by the time he returns.

"I am medically fit, but physically I have to gain," he said. "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."