Diaby sings Arteta' praises

Arsenal star Abou Diaby is relishing the prospect of playing alongside Mikel Arteta after injury ruled him out for most of last season.

Diaby is now back to full fitness after putting a string of fitness problems behind him and thought of lining up alongside the former Everton midfielder is one which really excites the 26-year-old. The French international was restricted to just five appearances in the previous campaign, and he admits his lengthy spell on the sidelines was hard to take, both physically and mentally. However, he is desperate to make up for lost time and prove his worth again to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger in the season ahead. Diaby told Arsenal Player: "Mikel is a great player and he showed last season that he is a very important player in our team. "I am looking forward to playing next to him. "I personally prefer to play with three midfielders because I can go forward and I can also defend. I think it is the position that will suit me the best. "Of course the midfield is different now because we are all different. The most important thing is to bring out singularities into the team to make it better. If we have a mix of all that it can be a very good thing." Arsenal will begin their Premier League campaign at home to Sunderland on Saturday August 18.