Cesc Fabregas admitted his delight in returning to the pitch for Spain after a two-month lay-off.
Gunners skipper pleased with comeback in WC warm-up
Cesc Fabregas made his comeback from a frustrating two-month absence on Thursday night as Spain claimed a narrow win over South Korea.
The Arsenal skipper last played against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in March and was inspirational in bringing the Gunners back on level terms having seen them fall two goals behind in their first-leg quarter-final tie.
His appearance came at a cost, though, as he limped off with a cracked fibula which was to see him out for the season.
Fighting fit again, the talented midfielder, who is wanted by Barcelona, admits it is a relief to be back on the pitch.
He hinted, though, that it may take a time to get back to his best after playing an hour of the warm-up game on Thursday.
Better
"The first half was better than the second for me," Fabregas said.
"This has all been a bit like a pre-season for me, but I am feeling good."
Meanwhile, Spain defender Raul Albiol is drawing positives from his side's 'last gasp' trend.
It took the Euro 2008 champions until the 86th minute to score past South Korea and eventually clinch a narrow win.
Spain did exactly as they did against Argentina, Turkey, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and, more recently, Saudi Arabia, in sealing the victory late on but Albiol insists it is not a concern.
"Since 2008 we've been winning games in the final minutes, this is important as it means the team are working until the last moment, and our opponents suffer from fatigue more than us," he said.
"The team have had patience and that is good."
He added: We struggled to get the goal, but the team is building rhythm after a long time without playing international matches. I think we're fine."
