Wenger: Danny can still be champion of the world

After nearly eight months on the sidelines following knee surgery, Danny Welbeck made his Arsenal return in the FA Cup against Preston and Arsene Wenger believes there is still time for the 26-year-old to fulfill his footballing dreams.

The 26-year-old required surgery to rectify knee cartilage damage sustained in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City last may.

Welbeck missed England’s disastrous Euro 2016 campaign as a consequence and Wenger insists that the former Man United forward has shown enough mental resilience to return to the Gunners side with a bang.

“To miss the European Championship and on top of that, he missed the start of the season, but he worked hard and certainly victory [in his comeback match] will make him stronger,” Wenger said.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“But you have to go through it and that was a very difficult moment for him. I think he suffered a lot, but I hope, touch wood, he will now have a dream career.

“When the players are injured they are a little bit out of my sight because I sent him away as well. When a player has a long-term injury, sometimes it’s better you get him out and away, that he lives without the players and people who are injured as well.

“Because when he comes in he sees everybody go out there and you have to stay inside… the football club is built for people who are competitive. So sometimes mentally it’s difficult, so we let him go outside and miss this time.

“Of course we spoke with him a lot, but at the end of the day, when something like that happens to you, you deal with it on your own. But we try to support him, of course.”