Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has admitted it has been "difficult to stay positive" through his injury struggles thi season, although admitted that his recovery is "going well".
The England man, 24, has not played a single game this season because of a hairline fracture in his left fibula - his last appearance came in the FA Cup final in May last year.
Arsenal's No 10 revealed he is slowly getting back to full fitness.
"[My recovery is] going well," Wilshere told Arsenal Player. "I'm back on the pitch and I'm just trying to build my fitness up because everyone knows how tough it is to play in the Premier League.
"I'm working on it and I'm slowly getting there. Sometimes it's been difficult to stay positive, especially after the injuries that I've had which have been frustrating, but as the injury goes, you get closer to full fitness and you see the light at the end of the tunnel, then you start to think about coming back and getting involved in the team."
Arsenal have not won in four matches and have seen themselves slip out of title contention. Arsene Wenger's team are now five points below leaders Leicester City and below rivals Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
The midfielder added: "We've had a strong season and we're in a position this year where we can really go for it.
"In the past we’ve struggled around Christmas and before we've given ourselves no chance really, but this year we're [close to the top] with important players coming back. Hopefully they can help us.
"We've added a world-class goalkeeper [Petr Cech] and he's been massive for us with his experience. Apart from that, the team's the same and I think a big part of [us challenging] is because we’ve been together for a few years and the younger British players have started to mature a bit and that's really helped."
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