Wenger: Djourou has time on his side
Written by Jonathan Chong on Thursday, August 14, 2008
Manager Arsène Wenger has reassured defender Johan Djourou, saying that the young Swiss defender has time on his side.
The statement comes after a disappointing season for the Swiss international, where he endured an unsuccessful loan spell at Birmingham City, before returning to Arsenal and being unable to break the central defence partnership of Kolo Touré and William Gallas.
Djourou stepped into Touré's shoes last night against FC Twente, and Wenger has said that the opportunity is there for Djourou to grasp.
He said: "It is a big chance for him. He had an unsuccessful season last year because he was injured at Birmingham. It took him a while to get back, nearly until the end of the season.
"But don't forget he is still only 21 and for a central defender that is very young. And he has already had many appearances in Europe.
"It is always tricky when you have players coming back late. You always try to rush the fitness a little bit.
When you play a qualifier you are a bit more pushy with players who come back late and that's when you get injuries. That is what happened with Fabregas.
"But I don't panic because we have worked very hard to build up these young players. For example Djourou will play. He has been with us for three or four years.
"If he cannot play one game when we need him then we are wasting our time."
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