When asked to describe the state of mind that Danny Welbeck found himself in last summer as he faced a second long-term rehabilitation from a second major knee operation in the space of one year, Arsène Wenger did not mince his words.

“Desperation” was Wenger’s evaluation of Welbeck’s mindset in the summer and eight months later the England international made his second big Arsenal comeback in the space of three seasons, an eight-minute substitute’s appearance against Preston North End in the FA Cup third round on Saturday. He ­almost marked it with a goal against the club he played on loan at seven years ago, but was denied by a fine save from goalkeeper Chris Maxwell.

Afterwards, Wenger reflected on the bad luck of one of his best transfer coups of modern times, the man who came from Manchester United aged 23 in 2014. “I think he [Welbeck] went from … certainly desperation because the setback he had was absolutely atrocious,” Wenger said. “The patience you need when you’re that age – it was terrible.

“And to miss the [2016] European Championship on top of that, after missing the start of the season. But he worked hard and certainly what happened to him will make him stronger. You have to go through it and that was a very difficult ­moment for him, I think he suffered a lot but I hope, touch wood, that he now will have a clean career.