Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy is set to make his return to English Premiership action this weekend when West Ham United take on title-chasing Arsenal.

McCarthy has been sidelined since injuring his knee during his Hammers debut last month, but the former Blackburn Rovers star has now fully recovered and returned to the first team squad for their trip to Chelsea, but he was not used.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is now hoping the South African can do a job for him this coming Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

“He has a lot of faith in his ability. He’s a big player. He was training the whole of last week. He started very slowly, but towards the end you could see him improving.

“This week he will be at his top. We are relying a lot on his experience and knowledge. He has played important games in his career. We are expecting nine very important games. His experience and quality will be vital for us,” Zola said.