Shkodran Mustafi knows he has his work cut out for him moving forward but there are things to consider. One of them is what the future holds since his current contract with Arsenal FC will expire at the end of the season.

The predicament is something that would normally affect a player’s performance. But in the case of the center-back, it appears he prefers to deal with his situation after fulfilling his obligation. Rather than delve into that, he intends to whip himself back into shape and let his game do the talking.

The road to redemption has already started for Mustafi when the Gunners played Leicester City. He was sent in to replace David Luiz at halftime. The Foxes won that match, 1-0, courtesy of Jamie Vardy’s header 10 minutes from time, Leicester Mercury reported.

   

Though he hardly made any significant strides, it is a step in the right direction for the German player. Mustafi is coming off a hamstring injury and has the season to prove he deserves a new lease. Some are concerned about what lies ahead but all that does not bother Mustafi.

“Well, at the moment, I was just happy to come back from injury. It was three long months--I was happy just to come back and be able to play again,” Mustafi said in a report by PA Media: Sport via Yahoo. “We haven’t been talking about anything so there isn’t anything I can tell you guys.”

It has not been a smooth stay for Mustafi since arriving at Emirates Stadium. Regardless, he has weathered adversity and appears to have gotten on the good side of Mikel Arteta. The Gunners coach lauded Mustafi for his attitude and willingness to back the goal Arsenal is headed towards.

“Mustafi’s attitude, the way he is training, attention levels, the questions he is asking, and how much he wants to help everybody has been really good since I joined,” Arteta said.

Given the choice, Mustafi would want to stay with Arsenal moving forward. That may depend on how he performs this season. Regardless, he remains thankful that he is back in harness and playing football.

“It is a huge club, that’s why for me if I could stay at Arsenal, of course, it would mean a lot to me,” Mustafi said. “At the end of the day, it was important for me in the last three months to come back after the injury and to be ready to play and to help my team."