Aaron Ramsey ready to face Spurs as Arsenal midfielder earns immediate Wales recall

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is showing no signs of taking an overly cautious approach to his comeback from injury. The 25-year-old, who broke down with a hamstring problem during the second half of a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool on the opening day of the season, returned from an 11-week absence with a late substitute's cameo against Sunderland last weekend and continued to build his fitness on Tuesday evening (1 November) by starting and featuring for 75 minutes of the in-form Gunners' entertaining late Champions League victory over Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets in Razgrad.

Things step up a notch this Sunday with the small matter of the first north London derby of the season against fierce rivals Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium, although Ramsey clearly believes he is fully prepared for a clash of that intensity.

"I'm ready to face Tottenham," he told the London Evening Standard. "I wouldn't have been out there starting last night if I wasn't ready. It was great for me.

"I've been out injured for a couple of months now and it was nice to be back starting again and getting 70-odd minutes. That will put me in good shape going into the weekend and hopefully I can stay fit."

Ramsey has also earned a recall to the senior Wales squad for their latest 2018 World Cup qualifier. The Cardiff City academy graduate was sidelined for September's 4-0 thrashing of Moldova and also missed consecutive draws against Austria and Georgia earlier this month. However, manager Chris Coleman has had no hesitation in recalling him for the 12 November meeting with Group D leaders Serbia and insists he will take no unnecessary risks.

"We hope we are not getting a player that is going to be restricted with game time, but with a player as good as Aaron, something is better than nothing," he was quoted as saying by BBC Sport. "We have never taken risks with players and we wouldn't with Aaron."

Wales will also welcome back Joe Allen after the Stoke City midfielder missed that frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Georgia as a result of his brilliant half-volley in Vienna being followed by a hamstring injury that forced his withdrawal after the interval. The ex-Swansea and Liverpool playmaker, who was named alongside Ramsey in Uefa's official team of Euro 2016 after proving influential in his country's astonishing run to the semi-finals, has scored six goals for club and country already this term. He managed just three throughout the whole of last season.

Jonny Williams is another former injury casualty set to return. Crystal Palace's Ipswich loanee is fit again after an ankle issue sustained during pre-season. Cardiff right-back Jazz Richards and striker Simon Church, now plying his trade with Eredivisie outfit Roda JC, drop out of the 23-man squad altogether.