Abou Diaby coming to the end of the road at Arsenal! Is Wenger finally prepared to let injury-plagued midfielder - once touted as heir to Vieira’s throne - leave next summer?
Arsenal midfielder has just seven months left on his contract
Diaby has been plagued by injuries over the past five years
He is a popular member of Arsenal squad, but hasn't earned new deal


DIABY'S ARSENAL CAREER
2005/6 16 appearances, 1 goal
2006/7 19 appearances, 1 goal
2007/8 28 appearances, 4 goals
2008/9 36 appearances, 4 goals
2009/10 40 appearances, 7 goals
2010/11 20 appearances, 2 goals
2011/12 5 appearances, 0 goals
2012/13 15 appearances, 1 goal
2013/14 1 appearance, 0 goals
2014/15 1 appearance, 0 goals

A career once full of promise has been torn to shreds by injury after injury after injury.
Comeback after comeback has been ruined.
Now, with just seven months left on his contract, the midfielder is coming to terms with a grim reality.
As if the thought of his vast unfulfilled potential was not enough to occupy his mind, he must also start thinking about life after Arsenal.
Diaby’s Gunners playing career is expected to come an end at the end of the season after another injury hit campaign.
Having recovered from a second serious knee injury of his career, sustained in early 2013, Diaby knew he’d be drinking in the last chance saloon this season.

He reported for pre-season with an air of optimism.
‘It’s great to be playing again and it’s a good feeling, he said during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of New York City.
‘I am just happy to be back and playing. Now I just hope I can keep like this and continue playing.
‘My knee is feeling good, I have been working hard on my fitness and strength.’ In the same interview, though, Diaby admitted he’d considered retirement after sustaining a staggering total of 35 injuries during his time at the club.

With the start of his season disrupted by injury once again, this time by a calf problem, you have to wonder if those thoughts are resurfacing.
Arsene Wenger is Diaby’s biggest fan. It pains him to see the Frenchman’s career pan out the way it has.
But even Wenger must be losing patience.
It’s is unlikely Diaby will earn a new deal when his existing terms expire.
The 28-year-old is a popular figure at the club’s London Colney HQ, but there can be no justification for another contract extension for a player who spends more time on the treatment table than the pitch.
Arsenal’s medical team have worked hard with Diaby, but the sheer volume of injuries he’s sustained has taken its toll.
It’s nobody’s fault. Just utter bad luck.
There seems to be no way back for the Frenchman at Arsenal.