Pires makes successful return
The Frenchman has been missing for the last six months after sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury in the FA Cup quarter final replay with Newcastle last March.
The classy winger has now made a quicker than expected return to fitness and is ready to boost Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's options.
Pires came through the full 90 minutes unscathed of the specially-arranged game with Queens Park Rangers at Arsenal' training ground and he was delighted to be back playing.
"I am delighted to have come through the full 90 minutes," Pires told the club's official website. "Six months is a long time to be out so this is a very happy day for me.
"Physically I feel very good. "I'm not tired, although obviously it will take a while for the technical side of my game to come back. But I'm very happy with how it went."
The former Marseille man had targeted a return to first-team action in the Champions League clash with Auxerre on October 22 and having felt no reaction to his first game in six months he will be pushing for a recall to the Arsenal first team in the next few weeks.
