Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Denilson has been a revelation this season.

Wenger said: "Denilson has done very well and I think nobody gives him a lot of credit. But if you look at the stats of the season, he is one of the best players in the Premier League.

"He is maybe not a flashy player but an efficient player."

It is a measure of the youngster's growing confidence that the captain's recent return has not left him fearing for his place.

Denilson said: "We don't see it as a threat, we train hard and have been helping the squad as well as we can. We all apply ourselves the same way in training whether we're playing or not - it doesn't really matter.

"Cesc being back will help the team greatly - and as far as I'm concerned I'll give 100 per cent whether I'm playing or not and leave selection decisions to the boss."