Arsenal boss Wenger has sympathy for Eduardo frustration

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger concedes Eduardo da Silva will be frustrated over his stop-start season.

The Croatian, 27 later this month, has been hampered by a succession of niggling injuries since battling back to fitness from a broken leg.

Wenger accepts it has been a frustrating campaign for the versatile frontman, who has six goals to date, but drew a blank in his last five matches before injury against Aston Villa three weeks ago.

"Eduardo has shown signs in training that he is getting sharper again," said the Arsenal boss.

"It takes a long time to recover when you have been injured as he was, but he is getting stronger and stronger.

"It is not a worry that he does not score - I told him that, once you start to make assists, it is the same as scoring and that, for me, there is no difference.

"I said the same to Robin van Persie earlier in the season. Don't forget that, at the start of the season, Robin made several assists, but did not score.

"The goals will come - the team gives you back what you give to the team, so it is just a question of patience."