HENRIK Pedersen might be the man whose position is currently under most threat, but the introduction of El-Hadji Diouf has put all the Bolton strikers on their guard.

The Senegal international, already enjoying life at the Reebok after a nightmare 12 months at Anfield, could make his first Premiership start since mid-April at Highbury on Saturday.

Joint top-scorer Pedersen is fully fit again after returning from international duty with a slight Achilles problem but Diouf, who sparked Wanderers' impressive second half performance against Manchester United when he replaced the dashing Dane at half-time, has added a new dimension to Sam Allardyce's attacking options and is likely to get the nod.

The Bolton boss has been delighted with the way Diouf has settled since arriving last month, on loan from Liverpool for the rest of the season. Initially he felt the two-time African Player of the Year might need time to catch up on the fitness front, but those fears were dispelled when he played him in the friendly in Seville a fortnight ago and he will have no qualms about giving him a place in the starting line-up against the record-breaking Gunners.

"I was very pleased with him in the game in Seville," the manager said.

"He hadn't played for a long time but he'd done quite a bit of training with us and showed a natural fitness that can only get better with games.

"He's become a decided threat to any of the front three."

Diouf has been suitably impressed by what he has seen of the Reebok and, perhaps more significantly, of Allardyce, in the light of the well-documented problems he had with Gerard Houllier at Anfield.

He has needed little encouragement to draw comparisons between the way he feels he has been treated at the two clubs.

In praise of Allardyce, who is known for his man-management skills, he said: "He always listens to the player and has a laugh with the player.

"He talks to the players and he is a nice coach."

But, taking a swipe at Houllier - the manager who signed him from Lens for £10.5 million two years ago, but eventually tagged him as his "most expensive mistake" - he added: "When the team lost he talked of this player and that player. But I believe you win together and you lose together.

"I don't think you should look at one player when you lose. I don't like that mentality.

"He even blamed me for going to the African Cup of Nations to play for my country."