Serge Gnabry has declared himself ready to take part in what remains of Arsenal’s season having missed more or less a full year of football due to a knee injury.

The exciting young German was making inroads into the first team last season before the injury struck, and now he finds himself with increased competition for a place in the team.

However, he’s welcoming that and says that working in such an environment is raising standards across the squad.

“It’s very exciting,” he told Arsenal Player. “We’ve got a big squad – I’m a young player and obviously there are players like Alexis, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo. We’ve got a massive squad up front.

“I love to compete with those people and to learn from them, so I’m really happy to be involved in the team. In training, the intensity and the quality has become higher from what I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks.

“We have a lot of people who can play in the same positions, so I think the competition really elevates you.”

And having missed so much football, Gnabry is feeling good about his own fitness and readiness to play.

“I’ve been in training for a couple of weeks now and I’m feeling good and healthy. I’m in a good place. I’m feeling good, I don’t have pain in my knee anymore.

“I didn’t take part in the first half of the season but I’m hoping I will in the second.”