Arsenal Football Club News

• Nickname:Gunners
• Founded:1886
• Manager:Arsene Wenger

• Ground:Emirates
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Koscielny: I'll need time to adapt

09 Jul 2010 - 14:41:16

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New Arsenal signing Laurent Koscielny believes he will need time to adapt to playing in the Premier League.

The French defender joined the Gunners for an undisclosed fee earlier in the week from Ligue 1 side Lorient.

Koscielny has been signed to help fill the void created by the departures of William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre and the expected exit of Sol Campbell.

However, the 24-year-old does not believe he is ready to walk straight into the first team and adapt seamlessly to life in England's top-flight.

"I will need time to adapt. I have to earn a position in the team and play," he told L'Equipe.

"Nothing is for sure so far. I believe I will have to work hard, doing a lot of body-building exercises to resist Premier League forwards.

"I am not strongly built, but I make up for it with some cleverness, positioning and anticipation.

"I believe the manager has appreciated my state of mind, my concentration on the game."