Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has been sidelined for way too long and he knows, more than anyone else, how difficult and frustrating not playing has been. The Czech International said:

There were times when I didn’t see the light in the tunnel. After the second surgery. It’s strange, when you are in a foreign country, alone, the only thing you can do is lay in bed and you start thinking, and it’s not a good way.

You start to ask yourself questions like, ‘Will I be able to play any more again?’ That’s why I cannot say I am very happy, because I am still not playing, but now I know I will play again, so that’s good.

All the medical staff tried to find somebody with an injury like this and they found no one, so it’s very rare and unfortunately happened to me. The knee will be all right and that’s the most important thing for me to know because it’s difficult after almost a year in constant pain and after two surgeries.

I struggled with that. I had thoughts that I would never play again. But now I know the knee is good and I will play again. That’s a good feeling. The bad things are behind me.

I am much better. I have a groin injury, my only problem now, but after long-term problems with my knee it should be all right. Of course I’ve missed it but I’ve never had a feeling like this. I’m boiling inside to play. I know it will be all right because I was doing almost everything already on the pitch. But it’s tough when you are injured for such a long time.