Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that Abou Diaby will get better and better as he continues his comeback from injury.
The midfielder returned to action with the Gunners in their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday for the first time since limping out of his side's match with Chelsea in late September.
However, the 26-year-old played just over an hour at the weekend, and Wenger feels that Diaby will only get better as he plays more games.
"Diaby became stronger during the game," Wenger told the club's official website.
"I feel he was like the team. He started very slowly and became stronger in the second part of the game. I took the gamble [to replace the injured Mikel Arteta with Diaby] because I feel that it was needed. It's good that he came through well. He will become stronger very quickly.
"The team is desperate to do well and has quality. We need to be conscious that we have quality and we have to show more authority from the start in big games. The authority comes with the confidence in your quality."
Diaby could feature for Arsenal on Wednesday, as they host Swansea City in their FA Cup third-round replay.
Matt Cotton
