LAUR MAN
Seven months out, Koscielny is back ... the leader on and off the pitch who even inspired them to go out and beat Spurs
LAURENT KOSCIELNY will make his Arsenal comeback on Thursday – but he has already inspired the Gunners to ascendancy in north London.
Seven months after suffering the ruptured Achilles tendon which crushed his dreams of World Cup glory with France, Koscielny (left) expects to return against Qarabag in the final Europa League group qualifier.
Although nothing will make up for the heartbreak of missing out on triumph with Les Bleus in Russia last summer, the Arsenal captain has not mislaid the gift of rabble-rousing when his team-mates need firing up.
Goalkeeper Bernd Leno revealed it was a pep-talk from Koscielny, five minutes before kick-off, which galvanised the Gunners into their stunning 4-2 win against Tottenham earlier this month, easily their best performance in new manager Unai Emery’s 21-match unbeaten run.
Leno said: “Laurent is our captain. He is a big personality and of course he has big quality. I am happy for him that maybe he will start on Thursday.
“Before the Tottenham game he was not in the squad but five minutes before the game he said many good things about the history of the game, how important it is for the fans, the club, every player, so he is the perfect captain for us..”
Koscielny, crocked in last season’s Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid (above), said of the win against Spurs: “It was a special game, a special day and a special win. We showed how strong we are.
“You don’t come to our home and tell us what to do. The Emirates is our home and we rule there.
“Lucas Torreira could not have picked a better moment to score his first goal for us. My wife Claire happened to film his goal – she was recording the incredible atmosphere and continued to film when Auba (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang) put Lucas through. I never thought the video would go viral, but it is one of those moments we will never forget.”
Koscielny’s return is timely after a new wave of problems in central defence piled up for Emery.
Shkodran Mustafi limped off with a hamstring injury against Huddersfield at the weekend, Sokratis will miss Sunday’s trip to Southampton through suspension, and Rob Holding is out for the season after rupturing his cruciate knee ligaments.