Laurent Koscielny will add “experience, quality and personality” when he makes his eagerly-awaited return to the first team.
The captain has not played for the senior side since rupturing an Achilles during our Europa League semi-final defeat at Atletico Madrid in April.
A lot has changed since then - not least the departure of Arsene Wenger and the arrival of Unai Emery. And Koscielny’s new coach says the Frenchman could be involved against Huddersfield.
“We are on a gradual way with him,” said Emery. “He’s played two matches with the under-23s. He played 85 minutes on Tuesday and our plan is that he can maybe be with us in the 18 on Saturday.
“Maybe he can play against Qarabag in the Europa League. He’s working with us with very big performances every day in training. He’s playing for the under-23s with a good feeling. The next step is for him to be with us.
“He gives us experience, quality, personality,” added the head coach. “We need every player and we need also for him to train with us. The next step is playing. He can play with us and be with us normally.”
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