Aaron Ramsey is set to hand Arsenal a double boost by returning to training on Thursday after agreeing a new £90,000-a-week contract.

Sportsmail understands that Ramsey will initially take part in light training outdoors before building up to full contact training next week as he prepares for his comeback from injury.

Arsene Wenger wants the midfielder to play some part in the north London derby against Tottenham on Sunday week but is keen Ramsey is not rushed back to the team and suffers any more setbacks in his recovery from the thigh injury that has kept him out since late December.

The Welshman’s impending return comes as he prepares to sign a bumper new deal as a reward for his outstanding performances in the 15 months since penning his last agreement.

The 23-year-old has agreed the terms of an improved contract that will lift his salary to £90,000-a-week, bringing it in line with fellow British stars Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott. Ramsey’s current deal runs until 2018 and is worth £60,000-a-week.

Sportsmail revealed last week that Santi Cazorla was set to follow Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky by agreeing a new contract. Arsenal have offered to extend the Spaniard’s deal by a year until 2017 and increase his wages to £80,000-a-week.

Arsenal announced Mertesacker and Rosicky’s fresh agreements on Tuesday and it is anticipated that the Ramsey and Cazorla contracts will also be officially confirmed imminently.

Ramsey was given the all-clear to step up his rehabilitation programme last month after returning from a week’s warm-weather training in Dubai.

The midfielder, arguably Arsenal’s outstanding player in the first half of the season, has been sidelined since Boxing Day with a thigh problem, which he aggravated when he returned to full training at the end of January.

Arsene Wenger ruled Ramsey out for a further six weeks but there were private fears he could be out for even longer as Arsenal struggled to find the cause of the thigh problem that has intermittently affected the player for much of the season.

However, fresh scans gave the 23-year-old the all-clear and Arsenal are hopeful he will be able to play a major role in the final two months of the season.

Ramsey is now targeting a mid-March return, which would be nearly three months after he last featured for the team.

The Welshman suffered a thigh strain in the Gunners’ 3-1 Boxing Day win over West Ham after being a virtual ever-present in the first half of the season, when his 13 goals and enterprising midfield play were key to Arsenal’s unexpected title challenge.

—Daily Mail