Francis Coquelin opens up on injury struggles and sends message of support to Alberto Moreno

Francis Coquelin is looking forward after his latest battle with injury, which kept him out for months.

The Villarreal midfielder has been out since late November due to an Achilles injury ahead of finally returning with an appearance off the bench over the weekend.

Coquelin missed 19 games in all, adding to an injury-filled last couple of years, with a number of those injuries stemming from his Achilles tendon rupture from 2018.

But he is now back and fit, rejoining a Villarreal side that has improved significantly since the early winter, when he picked up the injury.

Reflecting on the difficult time he spent on the sidelines during a press conference, Coquelin said: “It has been a very complicated time, very hard, but now I am happy to return to play and to the green.

“Injuries are part of football. I try not to be like that (down), but it has been two bad years.

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“You can’t obsess, I work to return to my best and I am lucky to recover quickly.

“We arrive at a beautiful end to the season and I am excited to help.”

Injuries are indeed part of the game, but they are never easy to take, and that is especially true for Alberto Moreno, who was recently ruled out for the rest of the season, and indeed much of the summer, due to an ACL rupture.

“It’s very hard,” Coquelin responded when asked about his teammate’s injury. “Now he is better, waiting for the operation, and we are here to help him.

“It’s a hard blow for him and the team. He was in a great moment and it’s a blow to lose him.

“But he is supported and I am sure he will return stronger.”