Man Utd target set for Arsenal stay

The 29-year-old is set to play his first game since the European Championship when Arsenal face FC Cologne in a friendly on Sunday.

Van Persie will then report for international duty for Holland when they take on Belgium in a friendly on Wednesday.

Holland boss Louis van Gaal told the Sunday Mirror: “Robin will play his first game this Sunday. He has told me he is at least going to play 45­ ­minutes this weekend.

“It is a good job, because I almost had not selected him.”

Van Gaal added: “This is the only time I’ll pick Van Persie and Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart while they are not fit.

“They have not played a single game yet for their clubs and normally I don’t pick players then. In future I will only pick fit players.

“But van Persie is so ­important for the Dutch team.”

Van Persie has recently been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United.