Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen is confident of returning to the first team fully recovered from injury. The 25-year-old centre-back has not played since September after picking up an Achilles injury during Belgium's Euro 2012 qualifier with Turkey.
Boss Arsene Wenger has ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign and the defender is now looking to pre-season to regain full fitness.
"The chances that I will play another game this season are small," he told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
"I can understand my manager when he says that my season is over. I have been out for seven months and I must fulfil a complete 'pre-season', so it's logical that he won't take risks.
"Time is ticking away and the season finishes in two months. I must first get fit again, then gain rhythm.
"So I've still a long way to go. I can kick a ball as hard as possible, but that's not my problem. I need to run without pain."
He added: "After surgery, you soon become impatient. I'm a player they have to slow down - that's my problem. I felt a little pain, but I had something in my head: I'll cope with it.
"That's wasn't too smart: you can't beat nature. After a few weeks I personally indicated that I had to slow down. It didn't feel that comfortable, as it feels these days.
"I always thought I would be out for six weeks [after the surgery]. That was what I was told.
"So I never could anticipate this long absence. Maybe I would have preferred that I knew from the start."
Vermaelen has been supported by his team-mates at the Emirates through this tough time.
"I wanted to stay in the dressing room [during my rehabilitation] to be with my team-mates," he remarked.
"I had so much support from my friend Robin van Persie for example. Robin is a very helpful guy. He has experience with long injuries and often gave me good advice."
