Arsenal winger reveals he played through injury when season began

Leandro Trossard has revealed that he began the season playing through an injury, explaining his early lack of minutes and the transfer speculation that surrounded him over the summer.

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The Belgian international was linked with a move away during the final weeks of the window, with clubs in Turkey, Germany and the Premier League reportedly interested, but he insists he was never looking to leave.

“There are always rumours,” he said while on international duty with Belgium. “Leaving has never really been an option. I feel very good at Arsenal. At the beginning of the season, I struggled a bit with an injury. Those rumours arose because of the lack of minutes.”

Trossard featured for only 37 minutes in Arsenal’s opening three league games, but since recovering full fitness, he has started the last three matches, against Manchester City, Newcastle and West Ham.

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“It was always my intention to stay at Arsenal, but I kept in mind that it could come to a transfer, because my contract was pending for a long time, it was a bit on the slow side,” he said. “But after a good conversation with the club and the coach, who played an important role, we still found a deal.” Trossard eventually agreed terms that saw his wages rise but the length of his deal stay the same.

The 30-year-old said his pre-season was disrupted by a niggling groin injury that proved difficult to shake off. “I had a difficult preparation due to an injury that did not want to heal immediately. That’s why I played so little at first.

“When I joined the national team last month, it was just resolved. I was happy that I got minutes from the national coach and was able to gain rhythm. After that, things started to turn around at Arsenal.”

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Now back to full fitness, Trossard has been instrumental in recent games, contributing two goals and two assists while rediscovering his sharpness in front of goal. “I’ve had some good weeks, both individually and with Arsenal,” he said. “I’m finally a fit footballer again, a player in top form. I’m very happy about that. I’ve played a lot in recent weeks, I’ve done my thing, and I feel good about that.”

Speaking ahead of Belgium’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and Wales, Trossard was asked about Arsenal’s strong domestic form. “And hopefully we will stay there,” he said when asked about Arsenal being top of the table.

“We’ve been close to the title a few times, but we’re getting better every year. We were already very strong in football, but our squad is now a lot more extensive. When the going gets tough, guys come from the bench who make a difference.”