"Having missed over a year with a serious knee injury, his return coincided with a defensive shortage and he stepped into the breach admirably, not being on the losing side in the league until late April, when his form did start to fade. Has done enough to be first choice." Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Djourou said he would fight for his place in the first team, having recovered from a shoulder injury. Having described Arsenal's failure to not reach the UEFA Champions League group stage as 'unthinkable', Djourou played in both legs against Udinese and helped the club win 3–1 on aggregate to reach further in the Group Stage. However, on 28 August 2011, he played in the centre of a young Arsenal seriously weakened by injuries for a match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Arsenal lost 8–2, in what was their heaviest defeat since 1896, a 115-year record. Three days later Arsenal announced the signing of experienced German defender Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen, and Djourou's first team opportunities became more limited in the centre-back position. As a result, he began to receive first team football by playing in the right-back position for the club. Despite being involved in the first team, Djourou, at times, found himself out of the starting eleven, due to competitions that saw him placed on the substitute bench and his own injury concern. In a 2–1 loss against Fulham on 2 January 2012, he was sent off for a second bookable offence. After serving a one match suspension, Djourou returned to the starting line-up against Swansea City on 15 January 2012, and set up Arsenal's second goal of the game, in a 3–2 loss. The following month saw him signed a three-year contract extension until summer 2015. The second half of the season continued to see his first team opportunities limited. During the 2011–12 season, he started 19 times for Arsenal and made 8 substitute appearances. Ahead of the 2012–13 season, Djourou was told by Manager Ottmar Hitzfeld that he must leave Arsenal in hopes of getting a call up from Switzerland. This led Djourou to comment over his future at the club. However, he announced his intention to stay at Arsenal. Unfortunately, Djourou's first team opportunities at the club continued to be limited and only appeared two times in the first half of the season. As a result, Djourou was told