Catalin Cirjan has confirmed he’s returned to the Arsenal training centre following his recent injury absence for the academy side.

Catalin Cirjan taking photos with fans in the stands before the Arsenal u23s' pre-season friendly against Ebbsfleet United (Photo by Dan Critchlow)
Catalin Cirjan (c) taking photos with fans in the stands before the Arsenal u23s’ pre-season friendly against Ebbsfleet United (Photo by Dan Critchlow)

Arsenal 18-year-old talent Catalin Cirjan hasn’t played a game for any of the academy sides since April, with what appears to be a knee injury keeping him out of action. But it looks like he’s closing in on a return now.

The midfielder had been spotted in the stands at games from time to time over the summer, attending u23 pre-season matches such as those against Ebbsfleet United and Boreham Wood. At that point, he was still on crutches.

Cirjan then returned to Romania in August while he worked on his recovery. The good news is that he’s back at the Arsenal training centre again now.

The youngster posted “I’m back” on Instagram on Thursday, along with a picture of the Arsenal training centre. It’s likely to be a while longer yet before he’s playing matches, but it’s good to see he’s around the club again.

Cirjan can play in central midfield, the number 10 position or on the right. He’s a Romania u19 international, called up by the side not long before his injury earlier this year.