Wenger - Toure will be ready

Gunners defender continues recovery from malaria

Last updated: 29th July 2008

kolo toure arsenal v middlesbrough

Toure: Back in training

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Arsene Wenger is confident Kolo Toure will be fit for Arsenal's opening game of the Premier League season.

Toure contracted malaria while on holiday in his native Ivory Coast, but has been training with his team-mates in Austria.

Though the defender missed Monday's friendly romp over a Burgenland XI, Gunners boss Wenger predicts Toure will be able to line up against West Brom on 16th August.

Good news

"Kolo has started to practise again, so that's quite good news for us," Wenger told reporters after the friendly win.

"It will take two weeks for him to play, but he will be ready for the first Premier League game."

Toure underwent tests on the disease in the Austrian capital Vienna, but Wenger admits it was never a serious issue.

He added: "Most of the players have that (malaria) in their blood in Africa. He had a little resurgence of it because he caught it in Africa.

"They recover quickly from that. After two days he was okay."