Arsenal reserves coach Neil Banfield expects summer signing Amaury Bischoff to be competing for a first team place in the New Year.

Bischoff played in Arsenal's reserve-team victory over Fulham yesterday and Banfield told the club's website: "It is Amaury's third game now.

"He has been training regularly for eight weeks after a really long injury. It is going to take him a while before we see what he is really like, I would look into the new year for that.

"We will ease him back in and not pay too much attention to his performance because after being out for so long it will take the lad a hell of a long time to get back to the level he was at before the injury. It is another 90 minutes tonight and hopefully he will do well and we will see how he gets on after tonight.

"I think everyone can see that he has good technique and he has a very good pedigree. Physically we will see how he develops over the next six months. It is in his hands and I am sure that the manager will look at the situation and make a decision accordingly."