Abou Diaby Eyes FA Cup Final Comeback After Long Injury Layoff
Abou Diaby is set to make his long-awaited return to action, with the FA Cup final against Hull City on May 17th looking like the perfect opportunity to mark his comeback.
After nearly a year of rehabilitation following a torn knee ligament, the Ivorian-born French international made his return to Arsenal’s first-team squad for their Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion this past weekend. Despite being named to the bench, manager Arsène Wenger opted not to bring Diaby on during the game. While the former Auxerre midfielder was hoping to feature, he holds no hard feelings and remains focused on returning to the pitch before the end of the season.
“I hope to play again, and preferably in the FA Cup final,” Diaby told L’Equipe. “If my difficult season can end with a victory in the Cup final, that would be wonderful.”
For Diaby, such a scenario would be an almost miraculous conclusion to a season marred by injury setbacks. Having been written off by some as “finished” in his football career, the 29-year-old admits that the journey to recovery was anything but easy. “It was the longest period of my career off. You wonder if you’re still a football player. You think about giving it all up. You say to yourself, ‘I’m fed up. I’m stopping!’ I spoke to my family about it. Then I woke up one morning: no, out of the question!”
Diaby’s determination to return to action has been a testament to his resilience, and his sights are now firmly set on helping Arsenal lift the FA Cup in what would be a fitting end to a season of personal and professional challenges.
