With Lassana Diarra missing the 2010 World Cup, Abou Diaby could play a part in France’s campaign in South Africa. The Short Fuse’s Ted Harwood looks at Arsenal’s French midfielder.
2010 World Cup Player Profile: Abou Diaby - Promise, Flash In The Pan, Or Unknown?
He will break your heart when he accidentally heads the ball into your own net and then disappears into the ground.
Diaby made his Arsenal debut in the 2005-06 season. He made 12 Premier League appearances that season, scoring one goal in April vs. Aston Villa. Sadly, the first negative incident that would affect his career took place the following month, when Dan Smith of Sunderland recklessly tackled Diaby, severly dislocating his ankle. He would not return until the following January. He made 12 appearances for the rest of that season and 15 in the next, although his 2007-08 campaign was sidetracked when, attempting to clear a corner kick in the Carling Cup final, his boot met John Terry’s chin at full force. Some quick thinking by Arsenal trainer Gary Lewin and a lot of good luck meant that Terry would only miss a few games, but Diaby was visibly shaken by the incident and seemed to play tentatively for the rest of the season.
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