Arsene Wenger has seen indications Danny Welbeck can rediscover his best form for Arsenal and England.
Welbeck has suffered an injury nightmare over recent seasons having been struck down by two serious knee injuries – one to each leg – in 2015 and 2016.
The arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette at Arsenal this term means the former Manchester United man’s opportunities to play at centre-forward look likely to be limited.
“I want to keep him because I believe he has gone through a torrid time,” Wenger told reporters, with Welbeck out of contract at the end of next season.
“He has come out well. I see signs in training now that are positive. If he can stay on the pitch and not be injured, I want him to stay here.
“Even with a muscular injury you lose it quickly. One of the advantages of being young is that you feel indestructible. It gives you an arrogance.
“Sometimes the players are very confident, very arrogant but as soon as they lose that belief in their body, suddenly you are lost and you don’t know any more what is going on.”
Welbeck completed 83 fairly uneventful minutes in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Ostersunds in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-32 tie but Wenger believes coming through a game on the Swedish side’s artificial pitch marked an important step for the 27-year-old.
If Welbeck can continue to progress, Wenger maintains he should not be discounted as an option for England at the World Cup in Russia.
