Mexico forward Carlos Vela has earned the chance to start for Real Sociedad against Espanyol on Friday for the third match of the season, coach Eusebio has said.
The 27-year-old Vela has been up and down for the La Liga side since joining Real Sociedad in 2012 after a loan spell from Arsenal.
But he assured fans during a news conference on Thursday that he is committed to the club as well as to Mexico.
"There are two years left on my contract and there is no doubt that I am committed to Real and to do the best job I can for the club," he said. "Obviously I could be better or worse, but my goal is to give my best and give everything I have for the club.
"I am very happy. I am having a good moment personally and professionally and I want fans to be happy with me as I am with life," he said. "I am working better than ever, I am dedicating myself to improving [the injury to] my knee so that I can show fans what I can do each weekend.
"We have a good team and we are hopeful that we can make the fans happy," he said. "We know they have high expectations but we do as well. We don't want to lose, we want our fans to be happy so they can enjoy the season."
Real Sociedad manager Eusebio Sacristan confirmed that Vela is in form and has earned the start.
"Vela seems very happy, he is working hard and helping the team," he said. "He is in form to play from the start and I hope he can help the team."
Eusebio: "A Vela se le ve contento, está trabajando muy bien, ayudando al equipo. Le veo con condiciones para poder jugar desde el inicio"
- Real Sociedad Fútbol (@RealSociedad) September 8, 2016
Vela's future hinges upon the 2016-17 season after back-to-back poor campaigns with the club.
The forward, signed by Arsenal when he was 16, also indicated on Thursday that he would consider a return to Mexico's team should he get the call from Juan Carlos Osorio.
Mexico meet the United States next in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 11 in the opening round of matches in the Hexagonal phase of World Cup qualifying.
�� "Quiero disfrutar esta temporada", dice @11carlosV. Y lo demuestra cada día. Aquí, una prueba ⚽️⚽️ #RealSociedad pic.twitter.com/S4u1nB1S9a
- Real Sociedad Fútbol (@RealSociedad) September 7, 2016
"Regarding El Tri, I am available," he said. "That I didn't participate this past summer, it was because of the coach's decision. He decided that it wasn't a good moment and that there were better candidates and that is why I didn't go, not because I didn't want to."
Before the spring World Cup qualifiers, Eusebio had admitted that it was the club who asked the Mexican federation not to call Vela up for these matches against Canada.
The decision came after he missed team training one day after being spotted at a Chris Brown concert in Madrid.
For El Tri, Vela has scored 15 goals in 47 career appearances. He played at the 2010 World Cup, but rejected call-ups from March 2011 to November 2014, returning only for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2015, where he scored two goals and the team won the title.
He finished the 2015-16 La Liga campaign with five goals and four assists, and said he never contemplated leaving Real Sociedad over the summer, despite reports that linked him to MLS.
"There is a saying that you learn more from adversity, and last year, having a bad year, you learn to value the things you have," he said. "Football doesn't last forever. You have to enjoy it and leave positive things. I hope to be a good example to the younger players."