Wanderers hope Abdoulaye Faye can frighten Arsenal for the second time this season.

The midfield powerhouse will make an immediate return at Highbury on Saturday if he shows no sign of fatigue following the African Cup of Nations.

Faye landed in London from the Egypt tournament on Friday, along with El-Hadji Diouf and Jay Jay Okocha.

And Sam Allardyce hopes he can hit the ground running for Wanderers.

The Reebok boss admits it could be risky playing his African Cup of Nations players. But if he decides to go with Faye in his midfield, Allardyce will be banking on his Senegalese ball-winner to repeat his man-of-the-match performance against the Gunners in this season's 2-0 Premiership home win.

"I hope he is champing at the bit and raring to go," said Allardyce.

"Firstly because of how he played against them last time and, secondly, because of his frustration at not playing as much in the African Nations Cup as he would have wanted.

"I hope that that gives him the edge on Saturday and he can hit the form immediately that he was showing when he left us.

"We have missed that while he has been away.

"That is the gamble I have to take with my African Nations Cup players in this game.

"I have to decide if they are going to peak for me immediately.

"That's the risk I may have to take. If I do, I hope it has a positive outcome."

Faye could come face to face with a mirror image in Arsenal's own powerful giant central midfielder, Abou Diaby, who ended Ivan Campo's season by breaking the Spaniard's foot in a tackle during Wanderers' 1-0 FA Cup fourth round win two weeks ago.

Allardyce said of Diaby: "We know he can mix it. It was a very serious tackle that caused Ivan to break his foot.

"That's the sort of player that everyone needs, although you would want him to make the fairer challenges rather than the dangerous challenge he made on that day.

"Perhaps you could forgive him for his naivety, having just come into the Premiership."