NATHAN Blake is ready to return as Wanderers bid for the hat-trick that can put them on course for Premiership survival.

Colin Todd's 12-goal top scorer faces a late fitness test but hopes are high that he will get the thumbs up to face Arsenal in tonight's Reebok showdown.

"Nathan trained yesterday and we just need to see whether he shows any adverse reaction," the manager said this morning.

"Hopefully he'll be okay."

Blake's recovery from the groin injury that kept him out of international action with Wales last week has a major bearing on Todd's team selection for a sell-out fixture that is vital to both clubs' fortunes.

His return could mean no place for £3.5 million record signing Dean Holdsworth. He was the unfortunate victim of a tactical substitution in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Leicester when it was left to Bob Taylor to lead the attacking line.

Taylor, in his second spell on loan from West Brom, has been tipped to get his reward for a hard-working performance by partnering Blake but Todd answered that speculation by insisting: "People saying there'll be no place for Dean Holdsworth are just putting two and two together and coming up with five."

The Wanderers boss, who sprang a surprise with his successful formation for the Sheffield Wednesday game and caused a few raised eyebrows when he started with pre-deadline signings John Salako and Gaetano Giallanza on the bench against Leicester, was giving no clues to either his line-up or his formation for a test he describes as "massive".

"It's a tremendous challenge for us," he acknowledged. "A lot of pundits are predicting that Arsenal will win the title and I wouldn't argue with them.

"We already have the incentive of knowing that a win will improve our chances of turning the season round but the fact that we are playing the potential champions is another motivation.

"We said before the Sheffield Wednesday game that we had the three home games to look forward to and here we are, having won two and looking to win a third.

"We've shown we have the resolve, the determination and the ability to get this far. Now we have to maintain the run.

"And even though a win tonight would still leave us in the bottom three, it will put pressure on everyone else who is down there and starting to look over their shoulders."

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