Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac: 'It's been mentally tough to come back'

Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac has revealed for the first time how difficult it was to return to first-team football after he and teammate Mesut Ozil were the victims of an attempted carjacking in July.

The Bosnian defender became a cult hero among Gunners fans after clips of him fending off the knife-wielding assailants was shared on social media, but the attack ruled him and his German colleague out of the North London club's first game of the season.

Kolasinac has made three league appearances since returning to the squad and, speaking ahead of Arsenal's opening Europa League tie with Eintracht Frankfurt, the left-back said to the Daily Mirror: "Well, of course I'm happy to be back. Of course mentally this was hard, missing also training for a couple of days.

"I made up for it. I'm back and happy to be back with the team and able to perform with them on the pitch with the team.

"About what happened I don't want to talk about it in details. It's happened and it's something that belongs to the past. The same with Mesut. We are back and we focus on our job and team. We have a very important match ahead here in Frankfurt."

Kolasinac is currently the most senior left-back at Unai Emery's disposal with summer signing Kieran Tierney still injured and Arsenal stalwart Nacho Monreal no longer with the club following his move to Real Sociedad earlier this month.