Arsene Wenger: I feared this Arsenal star would be too scared to play

Welbeck netted twice in Arsenal's 5-0 rout of Southampton in the FA Cup fourth round earlier this evening.

The England international has spent almost two years fighting knee injuries and the 26-year-old's display against the Saints was just his fourth of the season.

And while Welbeck has been back training for some time now, Arsene Wenger says he feared how quickly the 26-year-old would settle back into playing matches.

"It didn’t look that way at all," Wenger said.

Danny Welbeck celebrates first Arsenal goals after injury
Sat, January 28, 2017

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Danny Welbeck celebrates scoring twice against Southampton

We have always two fears – the first is that it takes him too long to get the decision-making, and secondly that the player is scared to go into any contact

Arsene Wenger

"We have always two fears – the first is that it takes him too long to get the decision-making, and secondly that the player is scared to go into any contact.

"When he made the runs and was fighting the defender, for me that was a very important moment for him.

"I knew that he worked very hard, but you never know how much efficiency there will be… to transfer that into a competitive game.

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Arsene Wenger was delighted with Danny Welbeck's display

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"I think it was great to see that he hasn’t lost his runs, he hasn’t lost his finishing.

"It shows as well, when you are able to transform that frustration of not playing into efficiency, that’s a special guy."

Welbeck will be hoping he's done enough to maintain a spot in the starting XI when Arsenal face Watford in the league on Tuesday (7.45pm).

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