Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen has admitted that he is unsure over his first-team future at the Emirates, but refuses to panic about his peripheral role in North London.
Vermaelen has largely had to settle for a place on the bench in 2013, with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger preferring Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker in central defence.
The Belgian defender has conceded that limited playing time is not something he relishes, but has vowed to work hard and wait for an opportunity to change Wenger's mind.
He told HLN: "I'm not worried about my situation at Arsenal, everything can indeed change so quickly in football. It all takes a long time, but I do not panic.
"I am very happy that I again can play, because I miss natural match practice. In training I feel good and I have faith in my current form. But playing games is something else, of course.
"I also realize that [to] always sit on the bench at Arsenal is not the ideal way to prepare for a World Cup. I talk a lot with coach Arsene Wenger, but get no guarantees. So I now wait and do my best at training. But the team plays well and so it's hard to get back into it."
The 27-year-old helped Belgium secure World Cup qualification with a win over Croatia last weekend, and with Vincent Kompany absent is expected to captain his country against Wales tonight.
Liam Power
