Arsenal: Jack Wilshere, Mathieu Debuchy and Mikel Arteta make return from injury

Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta began their comeback from injury by making their first Arsenal appearances of 2015 in a behind closed-doors friendly win over Brentford at London Colney.

Fellow injury victims Abou Diaby and Mathieu Debuchy also featured in a team which included January signing Krystian Bielik and Mathieu Flamini.

Wilshere, who scored the first in a 4-0 win over the Championship promotion hopefuls, has not played since undergoing ankle surgery in November having endured a late setback in his recovery but played 45 minutes in his first appearance for four months.

Arteta has also been out since November after ankle surgery curtailed his campaign, with a calf problem having initially struck down the Spaniard, who played 45 minutes himself in the friendly game.

Debuchy got 60 minutes under his belt having been absent since dislocating his shoulder in January against Stoke City, his second length spell out in his maiden season at Arsenal while Diaby, another who was withdrawn at half time, has featured just once this term as his injury problems persist.

The quartet's return is a major boost to an Arsenal side who will look to put further daylight between themselves and Liverpool when the two teams clash at The Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners already six points ahead with eight matches remaining.

The match also represented the first time Polish youngster Bielik has been given a run out since joining the club from Legia Warsaw however he is unlikely to be given a chance in the first team between now and the end of the season.

After Wilshere's opener, the England international laid on Arsenal's second after he set up Daniel Crowley before Alex Iwobi hit a double before the break as the star-studded North Londoners pulled away from their second tier opponents at the club's training ground.