More disappointment followed when Laurent Koscielny missed France's World Cup-winning campaign in Russia earlier this year but the 33-year-old said he was now ready to start afresh.
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Laurent Koscielny said he finally had a smile back on his
face after making a successful comeback from a seven-month injury layoff in
Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League victory over Qarabag. (Reuters)
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Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny
said he finally had a smile back on his face after making a successful comeback
from a seven-month injury layoff in Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League victory over
Qarabag. The French defender sustained an Achilles tendon injury against
Spanish side Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of last season’s competition and
underwent surgery in May.
More disappointment followed when
he missed France’s World Cup-winning campaign in Russia earlier this year but
the 33-year-old said he was now ready to start afresh.
“I have my smile back and I’ll
enjoy it with my club. I’ll start my season now,” Koscielny told Arsenal’s
website.
Koscielny had little to do on
Thursday as Arsenal, who have already qualified for the last 32 of Europe’s
second-tier club competition, eased past the Azerbaijani side thanks to
Alexandre Lacazette’s winner.
“It was an important day for me. It was the
end of my rehab, so I am happy to play with my team, for this club, and to
enjoy it with them on the pitch,” Koscielny added.
“It was emotional because you
remember the first day you’re injured … and you have flashbacks about different
periods during rehab … there were difficult moments but now I’m more calm and
focused on what I want, and physically I’m okay.”
Koscielny’s return is a defensive
boost for Arsenal with Rob Holding out for the season due to a knee ligament
problem and Konstantinos Mavropanos (groin) and Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring)
both battling injury.
Victory against Qarabag extended
the club’s winning run in all competitions to 22 games and manager Unai Emery
could turn to his captain again when Arsenal return to Premier League action
with a trip to Southampton on Sunday.
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