"It’s his first game, of course he cannot be at the top of his game but for me he did last the 90 minutes," Arsenal's official webstie quoted Wenger as saying in a press conference after the 3-1 victory over Manchester City on Thursday.

"He finished the game very tired and he had no injury during this 90 minutes. We have to see how he recovers for Sunday (against Wigan)."

The 26-year-old Cole has been suffering from fractured foot and ankle problems over the past seven months. French midfielder Mathieu Flamini was deployed in the left back role to fill in Cole's place.

England manager Sven-Goran Erikkson hopes that Cole can restore his full form before the World Cup that kicks-off on June 9th and Wenger believes his defender will be ready for national duty

"For England, it's just right because we are at the beginning of May, the competition starts on the 10th of June — in five weeks. You will have a perfect Ashley Cole," the Frenchman said.

Cole's comeback would be a huge asset for injury-hit Arsenal when they take on Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final match in Paris on May 17th.