Emile Smith Rowe is expected to join Unai Emery's first team squad in the coming days as he steps up his recover from a groin injury.
The Arsenal youngster has been plagued by the nagging difficulty throughout 2019 but has featured for the Under-23s early in this season.
Smith Rowe was forced out of the 2-2 draw with Derby County on Friday night, sparking fears of a further setback. However football.london understands that there has been no such issue and that the 19-year-old is fully fit at last.
As such he is set to join training with Emery over the international break. He has already been formally promoted to the first team but has featured for Steve Bould's U23s as he recovers his fitness.
Arsenal had considered loaning Smith Rowe out for the season after he spent the second half of last term with RB Leipzig but as football.london first revealed last month the Gunners opted against allowing him to depart as they want him to complete his rehabilitation at London Colney.
The situation will be revisited in January, depending on the game time afforded to Smith Rowe. Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg want to sign him on loan.
Smith Rowe's opportunities are only likely to increase after Arsenal opted to loan out Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Roma will pay the vast majority of the Armenian international's wages and a loan fee.
However Smith Rowe will not be the only youngster battling for minutes in a squad that has lost Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi from its wide options. Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka will all hope to profit from Arsenal's commitment to blooding youngsters.
Smith Rowe has been rated as one of the top talents in a prodigious class of youngsters and was well regarded by Emery, handing him six appearances in the first half of last season.
The youngster told football.london during the club's summer tour of the USA: "Arsenal have got a lot of great young talents, they'll definitely get the opportunity they deserve.
"It's a great bunch of young lands and we're excited for the future."
