Robin van Persie hopes to play some part in Arsenal's decisive Champions League return fixture with Milan next Tuesday but Arsene Wenger, the manager, continues to preach caution.

The Holland striker, whose season has been marred by injuries, the latest to a thigh muscle, has trained this week and has an outside chance of inclusion in the squad for tomorrow's Premier League visit of Aston Villa.

Wenger only names players on the substitutes' bench if they are fit to play and, if Van Persie features, it would lift his hopes of facing Milan at San Siro in the second leg of the last-16 tie. The first leg finished goalless. Wenger, though, is mindful of how Van Persie has twice made abortive comebacks from injury this season and he does not want to risk an unwanted hat-trick.

Van Persie damaged his knee on international duty in October and spent more than two months on the sidelines. It was particularly frustrating as he had just scored five goals in four matches for Arsenal, bringing his tally for the season to seven.

He returned against Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League group phase on December 12th but in Arsenal's next game, having come on as a substitute against Chelsea in the Premier League, he injured his thigh. Wenger brought him back for the League Cup semi-final first-leg against Tottenham on January 9th but he was badly off the pace and had to be withdrawn at half-time. Scans showed he had aggravated the injury and he has not played since. Wenger admitted that, with the benefit of hindsight, it had been a mistake to play him.

"We will not rush Robin back but the news is quite good," said Wenger. "It is very difficult to say (when he will be back in the team). But he should come back into normal training very, very quickly now."

The midfielder Abou Diaby has recovered from a calf problem but Wenger fears that Milan "looks a little bit early" for Kolo Toure, the central defender, who has a knee injury.