Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky said he hopes to be back in action during the opening weeks of the new campaign.

The Czech midfielder has endured a difficult spell out of the game since he last played for the Gunners almost 18 months ago, against Newcastle in the FA Cup in January 2008.

A combination of niggling injuries in his hamstring and knee tendons, which proved difficult to isolate and treat with surgery, restricted Rosicky's rehabilitation programme.

The 28-year-old winger, signed from Borussia Dortmund in a £6.8million deal three years ago, resumed light training in May and has now rejoined the rest of the Arsenal first-team group as they prepare for the new campaign.

Rosicky told Czech newspaper, Sport: "I think I will be back in the autumn.

"According to my fitness coach Tony Colbert I could have been playing at the end of the [last] season as he thought my fitness was okay.

"I think it was obvious from the training that I was ready to play, if not for 90 minutes.

"But the club decided not to play me. They saw that I was okay, but maybe they just did not want to take the gamble.

"Until I play in a league match I will not be able to tell what my chances are, but when it comes to fitness alone I am in better shape than when I came to Arsenal."

He added: "I am missing the competition. Playing alongside Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott makes you feel comfortable and I think that I will quickly forget that I have been out for a while.

"Now that I have recovered, I am a new option for the manager."