Ljungberg steps up recovery rate against Reading
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Your support makes all the difference.The Arsenal midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg has made a successful return to action after a hip injury.
Ljungberg played in the Gunners' 3-0 win over a Reading XI at the Premiership club's London Colney training ground yesterday. The Swedish international managed 70 minutes in a special practice match organised to help his rehabilitation from injury.
The game was played behind closed doors, with fans and press denied access as Ljungberg continued his rehabilitation. He showed no ill-effects following the hip operation carried out during the summer.
Reading's young reserve team were no match for a strong Arsenal side which also included Nwankwo Kanu, Francis Jeffers and Pascal Cygan. The French centre-half opened the scoring before goals from Steven Sidwell and the Spanish full-back Juan, from the penalty spot, sealed victory.
"Ljungberg looked fit and strong," the Reading player Joe Gamble said. "He probably needs a couple more games to get him sharper but he was very energetic. His runs into the box have become his trademark and he was making plenty of those."
Ljungberg had a chance to mark his comeback with a goal, but missed in a one-on-one with the Reading goalkeeper Phil Whitehead.
The previous night, the Swede's team-mates had gone to the top of the Premiership with a 2-1 win over Manchester City. Nicolas Anelka won high praise from his past and present managers, Arsène Wenger and Kevin Keegan, who both agree his best is yet to come.
Anelka stood out for City, along with his fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry for Arsenal, and both men scored in the 2-1 victory for the champions at Highbury on Tuesday.
"Nicolas has been with us for only six weeks but he has already got the total respect of the other players," Keegan said. "His work rate is good, his energy is good, and he works very hard, and at 23 he has got a lot ahead of him still. Nicolas has been an absolute dream to train. I have to take him off the pitch and the only other player I have had to do that with was David Beckham with England."
Wenger, the man who first brought Anelka into English football six years ago, can also see the improvement. "He was their best player against us," the Arsenal manager said. "He made good runs, was always dangerous and scored their goal. He is a quiet boy. He is not as he has been described, always impulsive and a nervous boy, not at all. He looks more mature and more composed on the ball and certainly has made a step forward."
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