The tale of Abou Diaby and Arsenal is one that one can think about with sheer pity. A lanky talented individual joined the club at the same time with Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott in the winter of 2006 but a career threatening injury he suffered at the Stadium of Light in May 2006 took a massive toll in his development as a footballer. After eons out he managed to make a full recovery and several niggling injuries plagued the Frenchman in the entirety of his Arsenal but there have been times he was fit and when he was fit, boy, Diaby has turned up the style in some games.
Yes, there have been a handful of good performances from the Frenchman here and there but he always tends to give the fans that warm fuzzy feeling which makes them that wishing he was available for use by his manager. Diaby’s best football came in the 2009/10 campaign where he played up to 40 games, yes, 40 games and he was called up to represent France in the 2010 FIFA World Cup where he featured in their three group stage fixtures before they crashed out of the tournament.
When he suffered that anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for almost a year, many thought that his Arsenal career was up but everyone was astonished to see him play a part in the last League game of the season against Norwich. This season, Diaby made his only appearance in the Capital One Cup third round defeat to Southampton and it was reported afterwards that he had suffered a hamstring injury that has sidelined him quite some time.
When Wenger was recently asked about the status of the French midfielder, his answer was somewhat saddening,
“At the moment he is not in a position where he will be able to play soon because he is not on the field at all.
I will make a decision on his contract”
Diaby has played just 16 Premier League games in the past four seasons and it seems unlikely that he would add to that tally this season. With the vast array of midfield talent in the club, one wonders what the future holds for the Frenchman. Reports show that he has reached the twilight zone with his contract and many don’t expect the club to renew his contract. The manager once stated that if the lad remains fit, then he may review his situation and probably think of retaining his stay in the club.
I feel really sad for Diaby and I wish him the very best in his future endeavors, whether it’s at Arsenal or someplace else.
Sayonara
