Laurent Koscielny reveals his daily battle with injury at Arsenal
Laurent Koscielny: Has three years left on Arsenal deal
Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has revealed he will require daily treatment on an Achilles injury until the end of his playing career.
The 31-year-old is currently managing his game time due to a minor calf problem and will miss the Premier League visit of relegated Sunderland on Tuesday night.
Koscielny should be fit for the final league game of the campaign, a home match against Everton, as well as the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 27.
But he is also having to work consistently on his ankle to keep himself fit and available for selection.
“I have some problems,” he said when asked about his Achilles.
“Now it is better. I know it is a difficult injury because you need to work every day on this. Every morning I have my treatment for my Achilles and I know I need to do this to the end of my career.
“Now, every day I do this and it is okay but sometimes with all the games we play every three days, it is difficult and I need to have a rest to recover well for my Achilles.
“That’s why last time I was injured but now it is okay with this. You need to be careful with this because if you stop doing your own exercise programme for one or two weeks, the problem will come back. I know now I need to do this every day to be fit for my team.
“I am prepared to miss Sunderland to be fit for the last two games of this season. Sometimes it is better to miss one game to be fit for the others.”
Koscielny captained the Gunners to an impressive 4-1 win at Stoke on Saturday, their sixth win in seven across all competitions.
The upturn in results looks like coming too late for Arsene Wenger and his side, however, as a place in the top four is now improbable with Liverpool and Manchester City also victorious over the weekend.
Wenger remains under pressure to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, with a growing number of supporters protesting against the Frenchman signing a new deal.