Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jenkinson teaming up for Arsenal success

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed the helping hand he has played in Arsenal full-back Carl Jenkinson returning to near full fitness at the Emirates this season.

Jenkinson, who helped Arsenal win the 2014 FA Cup, suffered a cruciate ligament injury last January while on loan at West Ham and has spent the last nine months in the treatment room working on his rehabilitation.

The defender, who moved to Arsenal in 2012 from Charlton Athletic, featured 20 times for Slaven Bilic’s West Ham during a second loan spell in East London last term, scoring in consecutive Premier League games, against Sunderland and Crystal Palace, before sustaining his injury.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has experienced his own fair share of injuries – he missed Euro 2016 last summer – but the flying winger has been a consistent presence for Jenkinson, cheering him on to make a Premier League playing return.

(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“I’m delighted to see him even doing as well as he’s doing now,” the England midfielder said. “Obviously he’s had a really bad injury, when you do your cruciate it’s one of the worst injuries you can do. So mentally, it’s always hard to take.

“Carl dealt with it really well because he’s obviously someone who’s extremely passionate about his football

“The time it takes to recover is hard and obviously because I’m his best mate I’ve seen him the whole way through his recovery and I’ve almost been there every step of the way so I know his ups and his downs, how he’s felt the whole time and how hard he’s worked more than anything.

“He’s gone through different sorts of stages and mindsets I think. Everyone has their own ways of dealing with the disappointment of being away from football and I think Carl dealt with it really well because he’s obviously someone who’s extremely passionate about his football.”