Hull City boss Steve Bruce says he will have no hesitation in recalling James Chester to his starting line-up at Arsenal tonight, despite the defender missing 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.
Bruce will be forced into at least one change from the side that collected an outstanding 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Sunday, with Curtis Davies serving a one-match suspension for collecting a fifth yellow card of the season.
The absence of City's influential defender will leave a void in the side for tonight's trip to the Emirates, but the Tigers boss will turn to a familiar face in a timely return.
Chester was named as a substitute in the weekend win against Liverpool, making his first appearance in a matchday squad since badly damaging his hamstring in the 3-2 win at Newcastle on September 19.
And although the 24-year-old is yet to feature in a comeback game since overcoming the injury, Bruce believes over a week of full training has Chester back up to full speed.
"I'd have no hesitancy whatsoever," said Bruce, who had selected Chester for all but four games of his 51 league games as City boss before injury struck.
"He's trained, he can't do any more. Ideally, I would like to give him more time to prepare mentally.
"He's trained with us repeatedly for the best part of two weeks. We can't do any more to protect him. He's available for selection."
Should Bruce stick with the same formation that started so effectively against Liverpool, Chester is expected to come into a three-man defence alongside Alex Bruce and Maynor Figueroa.
Opportunity knocks with City missing Davies for the first time since his £2.25 move from Birmingham in the summer. Thirteen consecutive starts have installed the impressive Londoner as an early favourite in the race to be Player of the Season.
Bruce added: "Curtis has been terrific. Of course, when people are playing at the top of their game, you're going to miss them but we've got a very good deputy in Chezzy, who was just starting to come to terms with the Premier League too.
"He's itching to get started again. Another one like our Alex, desperate to do well in the Premier League."
Another player who may soon get his chance is Matty Fryatt.
The striker returned from a loan spell at Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday on Monday, where he impressed on the way to back to full fitness.
"I've never really seen Matty Fryatt," said Bruce. "When I came in, he was injured, then he missed a year. He hardly played for me in the Championship last year.
"We needed somewhere he could go and play games. On Monday, for the first time, I thought 'wow', he could have a part to play.
"He comes straight into the squad and could be involved."
As well as checking up on Fryatt, Bruce also spoke to Robbie Brady after his yellow card for diving against Liverpool on Sunday.
"He won't dive again," said Bruce.
"I don't want to make an issue of it. If you asked him what simulation was, he wouldn't know. But I did say 'you did make an idiot of yourself'."
