Jens Lehmann oversees first Arsenal training session as a coach on Arsene Wenger's backroom staff

• e-mail

Jens Lehmann has overseen his first training session at Arsenal having returned to his former club as a first-team coach on Arsene Wenger's backroom staff.

Lehmann, the former Gunners goalkeeper, is working with outfield players and those in his old position in what is his first senior coaching role.

Centre back Per Mertesacker — a former Germany team-mate of Lehmann's — was among a stripped-down first-team group involved in a session watched by the new coach at Arsenal's London Colney training ground on Wednesday. 

Jens Lehmann is back at Arsenal as a first-team coach, working with Arsene Wenger in training

Wenger and Lehmann stand together during Wednesday's pre-season training session

Mesut Ozil shields the ball from Joe Willock as Arsenal work on their second day of training

Per Mertesacker (left) is marshalled by Lucas Perez at Arsenal's London Colney

The FA Cup winners returned to training on Tuesday but are without a number of their established stars who featured in international matches over the summer.

Mesut Ozil, Lucas Perez, Danny Welbeck and Carl Jenkinson were among the more senior members involved on Wednesday.

Lehmann's arrival is the latest change Wenger has made to his backroom staff as Arsenal look to bounce back from a fifth-place Premier League finish last season.

The Arsenal manager's close-knit team on the training field currently includes his assistant Steve Bould, other first-team coaches Boro Primorac and Neil Banfield and goalkeeper coach Gerry Peyton.

Peyton has been at the club since Lehmann joined as a player for the first time in 2003. 

Wenger dishes out his instructions to the players on Lehmann's first day as first-team coach

Danny Welbeck (centre left)  and Carl Jenkinson compete for the ball

The Gunners have recently added Australian fitness expert Darren Burgess to their staff as director of high performance and have brought in Huss Fahmy, formerly of Team Sky, to take care of contracts.

Lehmann, though — unlike those two other recent appointments, will have day-to-day contact with Wenger's players at training.

Part of the former Germany international's coaching education, when he was working on his badges, came when Arsenal allowed him to work at their training base to build up experience. 

Reiss Nelson looks to twist away from Willock in a training session packed with young players

Arsenal's players are priming themselves for the new season after finishing fifth last year