Abou Diaby’s Arsenal career looks to be in severe jeopardy as the midfielder – who has not pulled on an Arsenal shirt since LAST March – has undergone surgery which will leave him unable to play until March of 2014.

Diaby is expected to complete an entire year without football as he needs an operation on the anterior cruciate ligament injury that has plagued the last 7 months of his career, leaving him to watch from the sidelines for a further 5 months.

The French midfielder has notched up over 170 Arsenal appearances up until now, and has unbelievably been at Arsenal since 2005 when he joined from Auxerre.

Get fit or die trying?

He peaked in the 2009-2010 season where he managed 40 Gunners appearances, however in the 4 years that have passed since Diaby has managed just 40 more games. Averaging 10 games a season, Diaby looks unlikely to have his current contract renewed.

However Arsene Wenger has not ruled out giving the 27-year-old another chance, simply commenting:

"He has one and a half years to go on his contract."

Wenger also gave details of the operation underwent by Diaby, who has even managed 19 goals from defensive midfield at Arsenal, along with 16 assists:

"He had a little key hole surgery again, on the the knee because his knee blew up every time he did something so it is now six months after the cruciate.

"He could not even jog yet so with new surgery it is a setback for him so competitive football cannot be played before March."

Diaby’s a Gooner gonner

However it looks increasingly likely that the 16-time capped Frenchman will not have his contract renewed – just as fellow countryman and injury struggler Bacary Sagna looks to be leaving at the end of his Gunners deal.

As well as injury and the lack of match fitness that comes with it, some would argue that Diaby would fail to make the Arsenal team anyway – with the current crop of midfielders among the best in the world.

Arsenal’s star studded midfield would find it difficult to find room for the box-to-box man with Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini both preferred as defensively minded mediators.

So just as Bacary Sagna looks to be departing at the end of his contract, so too does Abou.

We wish him a speedy recovery in the hope that we can see him return to fight for his place at th Emirates!

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