Involved for the first time since he made a substitute appearance in January against Middlesbrough, Ashley played half an hour and that time will be hugely significant if he is to make his fitness ahead of the World Cup.  

With two Premier League games remaining and a Champions League Final for Arsenal, there is still a lot to play for domestically for the North London side and Ashley will be determined to be involved in as many games as he can.

That hope has been backed up by praise from his club manager, Arsene Wenger, who also went on to say that he expected to utilise the full-back in at least one of the remaining domestic matches.

Wenger said: "He did well when he came on. He played in midfield and physically looked sharp. He certainly will play one of the two games remaining. We play on Thursday night and Sunday afternoon, and he will play in one of the two games."

He added: "He's getting better and better. I think he's ready for 90 minutes because he has played two games in the reserves and came through them, so it shouldn't be a problem to play 90 minutes."

Making only his second substitue appearance in seven months, Ashley played on the left-side of midfield for the Gunners who were cruising at 3-0 by the time he entered the fold.

There was a touch of fortune about the Gunners' opening goal, Collins heading into his own net on 28 minutes as he tried to prevent Abou Diaby connecting with Henry's inviting free-kick.

Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas put the result beyond doubt shortly before half-time, although England fans will have watched the second-half with great interest as they will when Arsenal take on Manchester City and Wigan in their final two league matches.

Including three potential games for his club, there are a further three England warm up games that Ashley could be involved in this month.

Stay with TheFA.com for all the latest news ahead of the World Cup.