Arsene Wenger has confirmed that both Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky are back in full training and closing on a first-team return, along with influential goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Arsenal’s run of poor form coincided with a number of injuries to key players, although Wilshere has proven to be a long-term headache for Wenger having not played a minute of football this season after suffering a broken leg in pre-season.

The Gunners have slipped 11 points behind leaders Leicester City as well as crashing out of the FA Cup and Champions League, and although they have a game in hand over the Foxes, the odds are stacked against them to end the season with the Premier League trophy in their hands.

If the Gunners are to get back into title contention, they will need their key players back and at peak fitness for the season run-in, and Wenger revealed that a number of first team players are on the verge of a return in the coming weeks.

“Wilshere and Rosicky are back in full training,” Wenger told Arsenal.com. “Basically they are all progressing well.

“Cech is going back to normal training. It’s too early to say if he will be available for the weekend. He might be a bit short to be competitive.”

Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Show all 8 1 /8 Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Per Mertesacker Has Arsene Wenger lost faith in the towering German? It appears so. Time and time again in the Gunners' big matches this season he has been dropped for Gabriel or Laurent Koscielny. Will he be content to stay as a squad player next season? Getty Images Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Gabriel While it looks very doubtful both he and Mertesacker will be sold, there is a good chance one will. The Brazilian just has not settled into the Premier League yet. He will have to show he can handle it in the top flight in the final eight games to prove his worth to the squad. Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Theo Walcott It has been a season of ups and downs for Arsenal’s current longest-serving player. He usurped Olivier Giroud as the club’s first-choice striker, but he has only scored in two of the Gunners last 18 matches. He needs to be in the goals over the next eight games or you'd have to imagine Wenger will welcome offers. Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Calum Chambers A centre-back, a right-back or a defensive midfielder? Chambers has failed to excel in any position this season. Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Serge Gnabry Back at Arsenal after a disastrous loan spell at West Brom in which he only made one appearance. If he fails to have any impact until the end of the season, he will find himself in the deadwood category of Wenger’s squad. Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Tomas Rosicky A sad tale, but if he does not recover from the serious thigh injury that has ruined his season and play again in this campaign then the will realistically be no other option than to let him go. His contract runs out at the end of the season. Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Has not got anywhere near his potential after his £15m move from Southampton in 2011. An important season finale awaits for the 22-year-old. Who is playing for their Arsenal future? Kieran Gibbs Displaced by Nacho Monreal as the first-choice left-back this season, Gibbs will have to make the most of his chances until the end of the season.

Wilshere will definitely miss this Saturday’s visit of Watford – who knocked them out of the FA Cup in the sixth round earlier this month – and Wenger confirmed he will not be risked in the Under-21s game against Manchester City Under-18s on Monday in the FA Youth Cup, although he is tipped to return in next Friday’s U21 Premier League clash with Newcastle.

Not yet, no, we have not decided that yet,” Wenger said of Wilshere’s return. “It is his first week back in full training and we’ll see how he responds to that, but the first signs are quite good. We’ll assess our options next week.

Elsewhere in his squad, Wenger continues to have serious concerns in midfield, with Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Mathieu Flamini and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all remaining on the sidelines. Ramsey is expected to be the first one back in action along with Flamini, but Cazorla and Oxlade-Chamberlain remain long-term concerns.

Jack Wilshere last played for England in June 2015 (Getty Images)

“Ramsey will not be available for this weekend, but hopefully next weekend,” Wenger added. “Santi Cazorla is running again outside so it should be three to four weeks more training for Santi.