Mertesacker relishing Arsenal return

For Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker it has been a long seven months out of the game after sustaining a knee injury against Lens in July.

The German world cup winner has not featured in a competitive match for the Gunners this season but has proved his fitness enough to feature as an unused substitute in FA Cup victories over Southampton and Sutton United.

And now the big defender is relishing the opportunity to return to the starting XI as he pushes for a place in Arsene Wenger’s side to play Liverpool on Saturday evening.

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

“I want to just let the moment sink in to myself and feel proud again to be a footballer,” he said.

“Because all you do is train a lot, you want to feel those emotions come out of you and [appreciate] the reception from the fans.

“You always have a certain expectation of yourself, but at the same time you want to play. You want to play in front of 60,000. That’s the aim, that’s what you work for so I’m going to let myself be surprised a little bit.”

Mertesacker admits he may need more time to get back to full fitness but is relieved to be back training and injury-free.

“Obviously the manager makes the selection and I would say I need more training sessions under my belt and maybe a couple of games but still, it’s a blessing to be at this club plus to be painless as well, that’s really important for me,” he said.