Vermaelen Returns! AW “We have always taken the competition seriously, its as an opportunity to give some young players its an opportunity for our fans to see the players of the future!" Gervinho "We’re starting to rediscover our self-belief; we’re already thinking of the next game and winning it!" Song “proud to be captain!” Wright, Graham sell shares to Stan!

• Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen is in line for a comeback appearance in the Carling Cup tonight.

Vermaelen could make his comeback from a two-month Achilles injury layoff in the Carling Cup fourth-round tie against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium.

With one eye on Saturday's derby at Chelsea, manager Arsene Wenger is likely to rest the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Robin van Persie, and give starts to the fringe players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Francis Coquelin, Park Chu-Young and Emmanuel Frimpong.

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he always takes the Carling Cup seriously.

Arsenal have reached two Finals during that period and Wenger will be hoping to go one step further this season.

"We have always taken the competition seriously," he said.

"We use it as an opportunity to give a chance to some young players and people relate that to not taking it seriously but it is the opposite.

"Because we take it seriously we want to always offer two things - the desire to win and the opportunity for our fans to see some of the players who represent the future for this club."

• Gervinho says Arsenal's confidence is returning after victory over Stoke City.

It was their third win on the bounce.

"I felt well and happy when I came off," he said. "It was a good game and the most important thing was to win in order to gain even more confidence in the squad.

"The team is starting to rediscover its self-belief, we have rediscovered our feeling for our game. The group is starting to gel and each of us are starting to understand our team-mates and find each other on the pitch.

"Before the win in Marseilles we’d also won here [at Emirates Stadium] and that did us good too and of course the victory in France also helped us. We try to take it game by game and each win does us good.

"It’s superb to have three consecutive wins now and we’re starting to let go on the pitch and enjoy ourselves without pressure. We’re already thinking of the next game and winning it."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is delighted with the attitude of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Wenger will not rush the young midfielder into regular first-team action at Arsenal but he believes Oxlade-Chamberlain's positive approach to football - and to life - is a major plus.

"That is one of his strengths," Wenger said.

"Alex has talent mixed with a relaxed, positive attitude. I like that in him, he is a positive boy and I think he will be loved by people because he has that up-front attitude. That shows that he deals well with the pressure.

"I am not surprised how well he has done because I had very good reports about him at Southampton so I expected him to adapt quickly. He is now getting to a level where we want him to be and he has an opportunity now to show again that he wants to compete for a place as a regular starter.

"He needs to add urgency to his game in the final third, on the defensive side and winning the duels against men. The Premier League becomes tougher, you have seen that again against Stoke. You need that capability to go from youth-team football or lower-level football to be a top-level athlete in the Premier League."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is convinced Francis Coquelin has a big future at the club.

Wenger believed his compatriot had a future in the back four but Coquelin's progress while on loan at Lorient - and his performances this season - have convinced him otherwise.

"He is more a player who likes to cover ground than a player who starts from the back in a tactical position," Wenger said.

"He likes to be involved at the heart of things. A player's position has to suit his personality. When that is not the case, in the long-term you have no chance.

"I always thought he would be a player for Arsenal Football Club but he is a little bit in the situation of Jack Wilshere last year - the loan out to a top division club has done him good confidence-wise.

"He has transferred that into our first team now. He was good at the [Under-19] World Cup with France, and he is moving on well and improving."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is adamant Ju Young Park will prove his value.

The 26-year-old summer signing from Monaco arrived with a smaller reputation than some of Arsenal's new recruits but Wenger believes he will make his presence felt soon.

"Some players like Pires and Henry took four, five, six months and they became exceptional players," he said. "Park arrived two months ago so that's normal.

"Some people judged our players very quickly in a negative way and slowly they changed their mind through their performances. I prefer it that way round than the other. Some players make you jump off your seat in the early stages and then disappoint you after. These players will win over all the sceptical people and Park is one of them.

"I have been impressed by his intelligence and his attitude. He is well-appreciated and rated by his team-mates and by the staff as well - we think he is a quality player.

"It is hard in the Premier League but Park is a player with quality and intelligence. On the longer term that will always come out and I am confident he will do that in the Premier League as well.

"What you need when you want to be successful at a club is three strikers, three central strikers. We have them and we are very happy with that."

• Arsenal's stand-in skipper Alex Song was grateful to Robin van Persie after his performance off the bench in victory over Stoke City.

Song took the captain's armband in Van Persie's absence.

He said: "For me he is one of the best players - I watch him every day in training. He has been unlucky in the past with injuries but now he is stronger and more focused. Today we are very happy because he is one of the best players we have played with.

"I am proud to be in a team with this guy. He came in, scored twice and that is why he is very good for us."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits their latest FA Youth Cup winners are beginning to make a first team breakthrough.

Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong are three graduates of the 2009 Youth Cup-winning side to go on and make their mark in the Arsenal first team. Wenger rates them highly.

"When a team wins at Youth Cup level usually there is some quality there," he said. "It happens sometimes that a team wins the cup and doesn't bring any players through but it looks like in this team many players will make it."

• Arsenal captain Robin van Persie is in a rich vein of form and teammate Johan Djourou has highlighted the importance of him staying at this level.

The Dutchman has scored six goals in his past four league outings, including a match-winning double in the 3-1 victory over Stoke city on Sunday after coming off the bench, and Djourou is hoping he can remain in fine fettle as he and Gervinho are beginning to strike up a deadly attacking partnership.

"Robin did [make the difference]. It is under no question how important he is to the team but I think Gervinho also had a great game," the Swiss international said.

"He got two assists for Robin and the two combined very well together. It was a great sub by the boss.

"We have to keep him [Van Persie] like this, it is good. He came on after being rested a little bit and made the difference again. It shows you how important he is to the team."

• Ian Wright has sold up at Arsenal - as has George Graham.

There are two illustrious names missing from the latest register of Arsenal shareholders, who expect club owner ‘Silent’ Stan Kroenke to explain his strategy at Thursday’s AGM.

Club legends Graham and Wright both sold their stake when the American made his mandatory £11,750-per-share offer on taking his holding above 30 per cent.

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has likened Chuks Aneke to Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure.

Aneke is in line to play in the Carling Cup tonight against Bolton Wanderers.

“Chuks is a bit like Yaya Toure – he has body power and good technique,” Wenger said. “We had Yaya here [on trial] and for me Chuks is a bit similar because he can play behind the striker or in a deeper role as well.

“We will have to see where he will develop, it is not excluded that in the future he will play deeper in midfield.”

• Arsenal are watching CSKA Moscow sensation Sergei Revyakin.

Arsenal scouts are also running checks on Revyakin ahead of a ­possible ­summer move for the £5m-rated goalkeeper.

The 16-year-old caught the eye of Arsene Wenger’s spies at the Under-17 European Championship.