According to Marseille, Abou Diaby has “agreed in principle” to join the club, which is a clear vote of confidence for their medical facilities and staff.

The 29-year-old French midfielder was released by Arsenal at the end of last season, ending an injury plagued nine years with the London side.

16 – Abou Diaby made just 16 league appearances for Arsenal in his final four seasons at the club. Departing.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 28, 2015

West Brom were also interested in Diaby, but Marseille won out. This will bring a new challenge for team doctor Christophe Baudot, who has already accepted the fact that he won’t see his family again for the foreseeable future. This is why he got into team doctoring in the first place, though. To test himself against the most injury prone athletes in the world.

Abou Diaby and his injuries were a major part of the fabric of Arsenal for nearly a decade, setting a standard that many of his teammates tried to follow during that time.

But now all they have are the memories. Like that time he got injured.

Or that other time he got injured.

Or that time he just stood still, waiting to get injured.

Good luck, Abou Diaby. If anyone is overdue for a bit of it, it’s you.