Arsenal forward Emile Smith Rowe has revealed how the groin injury that has forced him to miss most of the season had been an ongoing issue since the 2018/19 campaign.
The Hale Ender has played only 143 minutes of football for the Gunners this season and has been unable to start a single match due to a repeated injury issue. Smith Rowe had featured in four of the opening six Premier League games of the season before the injury struck in September's 3-1 defeat at Manchester United.
He was forced to have surgery on the problem after it was concluded it was the best route in order to have the 22-year-old return to the levels he produced last season. After making a brief comeback in the wins over Oxford United and Tottenham Hotspur in January, the winger suffered another setback that resulted in a further three weeks of absence.
