Talented midfielder Abou Diaby will be hoping for an injury-free season after a heavily-disrupted 2011/12 campaign.

When fully fit, there's little doubt that Abou is one of the Premier League's most exciting midfielders - a technically-gifted, physically-dominant presence with the flair to open up any defence.

Last season he was limited to just five first-team outings, all from the bench, despite working tirelessly to overcome various setbacks. This was particularly frustrating for Abou after he made a strong finish to 2010/11.

Having missed the start of the season with an ankle injury, he made his first appearance against Borussia Dortmund in November and followed that quickly with an outing against Fulham, but he had to wait until March and April for his next competitive action after picking up a number of injuries. A calf problem cut his season short at the end of April.

Abou is able to play in a number of midfield positions, but is arguably at his best in an advanced role. He joined Arsenal from Auxerre at the age of 19 and, despite suffering some serious injuries - including a fractured and dislocated ankle in May 2006 - has progressed to become a key part of Arsène Wenger's thinking when fit.

He also has pedigree at international level and played all 270 minutes of France's 2010 World Cup campaign.