Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is in no rush to bring Jack Wilshere back into the team, preferring to give the Gunners midfielder more time in order to prove he is fully fit, according to Sky Sports.
Wilshere has started just ten Premier League games for Arsenal since March of 2014 (via Sky Sports), after falling victim to a series of injuries that raised concerns over the 23-year-old’s long-term fitness.
Wilshere has a history of ankle problems, and his latest injury caused the England midfielder to miss the Community Shield match against Chelsea (via the Daily Mirror). The injury was confirmed to be worse than first feared, and having suffered a hairline fracture to his left fibula, the Mirror claimed he would be side-lined for a couple of months.
Here we are nearly five months later, and Wilshere is still not ready to play. Wenger though, told Sky that he has not yet given up on the Stevenage-born player.
“I am an optimist,” Wenger said, when asked if he could rely on Wilshere being available considering the number of injuries he has had to deal with.
“I always think: ‘Okay, it’s true that he hasn’t played many games in recent years’. I hope at some stage that will stop because he is young and I hope I’m right.
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“He is a special case because he is a special talent and he comes out of the club. And he is an England international and I hope his injuries will stop at some stage.”
Wilshere signed his current contract with Arsenal three years ago, and Wenger has certainly not given up hope that he will sign a new one in the near future.
“He has two years left and I want Jack to stay here,” the Gunners boss added.
“When you love football and at his age, when you wake up in the morning and you can’t practice that’s terrible.
“They need support and I try to give it to him. But he is strong and he is dealing with that. He started at 17 and played every single game and suddenly it stopped. So I believe that can make you stronger.”
While speaking at his Wednesday press conference ahead of the weekend clash with Newcastle United, the Frenchman dismissed the suggestion that he had ruled out Wilshere for the rest of the season. He also hinted that England could spring a surprise at this summer’s European Championships in France, and when asked if he thought England could win the tournament he was extremely positive.
“They can, of course,” he replied.
“Why not? It’s a similar thing because not to get out of the qualification stage you really need to be suicidal because 16 teams out of 24 qualify and the best third go through so you don’t imagine they don’t qualify.
“After that, who are your main opponents? Germany, Spain and France. But I don’t rule England out, but you are not the first favourites. They are in the second tier. If things go well, they have a bunch of young players.”
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A bunch of young players that we hope will contain Arsenal ace Jack Wilshere after what seems like an eternity since we last saw the academy graduate play football for Arsenal.
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