Arsenal
Arsenal Set For Injury Boost As Star Vows To Return In January
Arsenal are set to be handed an injury boost with a key man vowing to make his long-awaited comeback at the turn of the year.
Per Mertesacker is ready to hand Arsenal a major injury boost after declaring that he hopes to make his long-awaited return in the New Year, according to the Mirror.
Mertesacker hasn’t featured for the first team yet this season after sustaining knee ligament damage during our pre-season friendly win over Lens way back in July.
The defender has been undergoing an intensive rehabilitation programme back in his native Germany over the past five months but he returned to north London last week in order to enter the final stages of his recovery.
The 32-year-old was spotted back at London Colney earlier this week as he resumed light individual training away from the rest of the first team squad but it looks as though Mertesacker is now eyeing his comeback.
The German international has offered an update on his recovery and says he’s now able to run freely without pain and is keen to get back on the pitch in the New Year with the Mirror saying he’s pencilled in to make his return in January.
Mertesacker is quoted as saying by the Mirror:
“I’m hopeful that I can join the team properly and be available to the team next year.
“That’s my resolution. I want to be back on the pitch and with the ball. I’m able to run now, painless, and it’s what it’s all about.
“When you are able to run again after such a long time it makes you feel happy.”
It’s great to hear that Mertesacker’s recovery is going well and hopefully he can avoid any set-backs as he steps-up his return in training over the coming weeks.
He’s going to need some time to rebuild his fitness before Arsene Wenger will consider him for the first team but he’ll be a very useful player to have around during the second half of the season.
It looks like Shkodran Mustafi has taken Mertesacker’s first team spot as he’s forged an excellent partnership alongside Laurent Koscielny but Per will still be a great back-up and I’m sure he’ll get games due to injuries and rotation.
