Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that French defensive midfielder Abou Diaby will probably never be the same player he was before his injury plagued him, having sat on the sidelines for 18 months.
The 28-year-old made his first start for the first-team in their 2-1 defeat against Southampton in the Capital One Cup game back on Tuesday night, and although he played well and finished the match unscathed, manager Wenger has revealed that Diaby will have to adapt to a position which does not demand so many risky sliding challenges in midfield.
His boss had this to say: "I try to transform his game, yes because I feel because he was injured for a long time and he has the physical potential to win the challenges - to face the game will be easier for him than to play with his back to goal with the injuries he had. I tried to develop him in a deeper role, I think he can do it."
Diaby will not be expected to have much of a large role in the squad, but it would nice to see whether or not he can cope with the demands of playing regular first-team football again after a disappointing spell on the sidelines. It's fair to say that he's been unlucky over the past few years, here is a list of all his injuries as well as a potential first-team set up with Diaby playing in a deeper role in the team.
