MY ACCOUNT
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is not concerned by the number of minutes he has played this season and the risk of injury ahead of the World Cup.
The Switzerland international has started all but one of the Gunners’ matches across all competitions this season, combining with Thomas Partey or Albert Sambi Lokonga in midfield.
Xhaka’s influence has played a huge part in Arsenal’s fine start to the season, including scoring the only goal of the game in Thursday’s victory over PSV in the Europa League – sealing qualification for the knockout stages.
A packed schedule ahead of the World Cup, where Switzerland face Brazil, Serbia and Cameroon, will test the fitness limits of players this season, but that does not come into Xhaka’s thought process.
“I’m not worried. The staff, the coach, they know how I am physically, how I look after myself. It’s not the first time I’m doing this many games in a row, I’ve done this for the last 13 years,” he said.
“I’m feeling very good. Every time you win, it makes it a little easier, but I’m not worried about my fitness, the World Cup or the future.
“I’m 30 years old, I know my body better than before. When you’re young, you think differently, whereas now I know my body, what I need. Of course, you have the people around you helping you with the food, with the recovery, at the moment, everything is working well.”
Asked if the risk of injury plays on his mind ahead of games, he added: “I don’t think like this, I will never think like this when I go onto the pitch.
“This is football, it can happen in one second. You have to put your faith when there is a 50-50 ball. My personality, as people know, I will never go back on that.”
With seven games to play before the World Cup, five of which are in the Premier League, Xhaka is aiming for the Arsenal squad to capitalise on their position four points clear at the summit and remain top of the pile for the mid-season halt.
“It has to be the aim. We’re there now, we need to be there as long as possible,” he said.
“If we have the chance to stay where we are at the moment, then the World Cup comes, maybe it’s good for everyone, for us as well, to prepare something else for January.”
