Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard has opened up about the injury which stopped him from making an impact this season.
The Danish international made his first Arsenal start since joining from Brentford over the summer, as manager Mikel Arteta picked him for the Carabao Cup meeting with Port Vale on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old said he has been patiently waiting to be handed his first start under Arteta after picking up an injury at the start of the campaign.
"That (starting) was obviously an amazing feeling," he said. "I've been waiting a long time for it.
"I had a taste of it in pre-season and then unfortunately had the injury. So I had to wait a bit, but today was a nice experience, even though it was a tough game. But we got the job done in the end.
The midfielder confessed that missing out during Arsenal’s great start to the campaign was frustrating, especially after impressing in preseason.
"It’s been frustrating (being injured), but I think also you need to look at it as it could have been a lot worse as well. I missed three games, which is not the end of the world.
"I had a lot of momentum. I felt like in the pre-season, I played a lot of minutes and did really well. But then now it’s about getting back to rhythm again. Getting some minutes like today is amazing for me, getting closer to the level I know I can produce.
"I'm not quite there yet, but hopefully more minutes now with a new game as well (against Brighton). There will be games all the time, so it's just about being available and I think the minutes will come my way."
Arsenal snapped up Norgaard from Brentford as a replacement for Jorginho, who departed for Flamengo. Now, as the season heats up he knows he must prove his worth under Arteta as he fights for a spot in the first team.