Agencies
LONDON, NOVEMBER 26
Midfielder Mathieu Flamini is confident he can help Arsenal overcome injuries to Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta and thinks an extended run in the side will see him produce his best form.
Coquelin has impressed in a defensive midfield role but will be sidelined for three months after picking up a knee injury in Saturday’s loss to West Brom. Arteta will be out for a month after suffering a calf strain in the same game.
Flamini, who is in the last year of his contract, is determined to grab his chance.“The season is always very long so sometimes you have to accept being on the bench but sometimes you have the opportunity to prove you can still play in the Arsenal team,” he was quoted as saying by British media.
“I have an opportunity to be back in the team and I will try to prove every game that I can be in the team.”
The 31-year-old conceded it was hard to cope with the demands of playing top-flight football but said he was determined to prove he was worth a place in the side.
“Can I play twice a week for three months? I think I can but now it is my job to prove it. Fitness is hard to maintain,” he added.
“For an athlete, if you don’t play every week, it’s not easy because the more games you have in your legs, the better you become.
“You gain in confidence, you become better physically, so the possibility to have game after game is obviously going to be good for me.”
Flamini was upbeat about Arsenal’s chances of advancing past the Champions League group stage for the 16th straight season.
The Gunners kept their hopes alive by dispatching Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 on Tuesday and will advance by beating Olympiakos Piraeus on Dec. 9 by two clear goals.
“We definitely can do it. We played beautiful football against Dinamo and scored three goals. Why not go to Athens and win by two goals?” Flamini said.
Arsenal next face Norwich City in the Premier League on Sunday.
