Djourou has impressed at the heart of the Gunners backline this season, but it has been a long road back for the 24-year-old, who suffered a serious knee injury in April 2009 which would see him make just one appearance on the final day of the following season. Djourou has formed a growing partnership with summer signing Laurent Koscielny, but it is a scenario the Ivory Coast-born defender feared may never develop. "It was a nightmare, for a footballer for anyone that loves what they're doing, to be unable to do the thing you love is just a handicap," he said ahead of the Carling Cup final against Birmingham. "For me it was really bad and I had to fight really hard to come back. "I took a break sometimes because when you're watching games you just think 'I wish I was playing' and it's not really good for your head. "You always have doubt when you are out injured, you are always thinking 'am I going to come back to my best' because you never know, some players come back injured and they are never the same. "You are questioning yourself, but the club has been very good with me they took their time and I think today it is paying so I am very happy with all the hard work we have done together." Arsenal's defence has often been highlighted as their weakest link but with Djourou at the heart of it, the Gunners record is impressive. Djourou said: "Critics are part of our game, but for me it was an opportunity to come back stronger and just to show what I could do. "It is a good thing that it is working well at the moment. "People are saying the defence is the weak link, but if you look at the record of the last few games in the Premier League we haven't conceded too many goals - in a game like against Stoke where we haven't played maybe as well as we do, we won the game 1-0 so there is a lot of character there." Djourou - who spent a productive six-month loan spell at Birmingham in 2007 - feels success in the Carling Cup final can boost chances of success in the other main competitions. "The team really has a lot of character and a lot of hunger as well because it is like we achieve things which people were questioning us before, the team is really realising what our potential is," he said. "To the players it would mean a lot because obviously it is going to be the first time for some to become winners and I think that it's going to be a good thing for our mentality. "People are questioning us, saying we haven't won a trophy for a long time - but to become winners we will become more confident and show that we can achieve a lot of things."
