Bayer Leverkusen’s summer signing Arthur has come to a conciliatory conclusion this season. The unlucky man in the Werkself’s championship year proved to himself and, above all, to his coach in the final spurt that he can still do it. This is particularly important from a perspective perspective.
At the start of this season, the 21-year-old full-back appeared as a substitute three times (cup and league) before bad luck with injuries struck. Not only did he suffer a muscle tendon injury in his thigh in September, but after recovering around three months later there was a setback: the tendon in his thigh muscle was damaged again.
Logically, Arthur played no sporting role in all of Leverkusen’s months of success – until now! On Sunday in the game at Eintracht Frankfurt (5:1), Bayer coach Xabi Alonso gave him his trust right from the start and afterwards gave the Brazilian, who can play at both ends, a “very good” grade.
First use in eight months
“He wasn’t that calm in the first five minutes,” said Alonso, but “after that he did great and played well on the right and left.” Such a performance eight months after his last appearance before the injury “is not easy”. But the “intelligent” Arthur worked very well to get himself back into this position.
Alonso is looking forward to the coming football year with Arthur as a serious option for the wing positions. “We know: we have a top player for the future and for next season.”
Those: press conference
LIGAINSIDER AVERAGE GRADE over the last FOUR years