Wenger warns fit-again Wilshere he faces fight for place

Arsène Wenger welcomes Jack Wilshere back to his squad for Arsenal’s game at Crystal Palace on Saturday with a warning that the midfielder faces fierce competition to regain his place in the starting lineup after the side’s recent upturn in form.


Wilshere suffered ligament damage to his left ankle in the home defeat to Manchester United in late November, checking months of encouraging displays for Arsenal and England, and subsequently underwent surgery. His rehabilitation has extended to almost three months with the 23 year old now ready to be included in the travelling party for the match at Selhurst Park apparently ahead of schedule, though he will most likely have to make do with a place on the substitutes’ bench.

“Jack Wilshere is available again, a bit ahead of schedule but he has worked hard and had no big problems,” said Wenger, whose side have won seven of their past eight matches in all competitions to maintain their challenge for a top-four place and progress in the FA Cup. “It’s good to have him back. This injury was on his left ankle, whereas he had had all those previous problems on the right one. So it has been a straightforward injury and it has healed. Even so, it’s difficult to come back straight away [into the side] always but it’s good he’s already back in contention.”

In Wilshere’s absence, Wenger has seen Mesut Özil return to the side and Santi Cazorla flourish in a central role. Yet, even with Aaron Ramsey absent for another 10 days with a hamstring complaint and Mikel Arteta out until April with an ankle problem, the Frenchman boasts options in the middle which may leave Wilshere biding his time on the sidelines for the immediate future with the side having thrived over recent weeks.

The management are understandably keen to avoid disrupting that system, though the player’s availability represents a boost given the cluttered schedule ahead, with Arsenal to resume their Champions League campaign against Monaco on Wednesday. “No matter who plays, you always worry about the balance of the team,” Wenger said. “If you look at Santi, for example, until now he has maybe been our most consistent player and, since he moved centrally, he has increased his influence as well.

“In Cazorla and Özil, Welbeck and Sánchez, it is a very offensive team and that means if you take one out and put Jack in it is exactly the same. Jack is an offensive player, someone who can turn the game forward and win the ball. And that’s his game. He can play wide so that means he can play on the right, on the left and in the middle, and with those positions there is fierce competition as well. But when you look at our scheduling over the next month I’m happy with that as he will get games. He is exactly the same player as he was before he was injured.”

The manager has spoken to Wilshere after he was photographed holding a shisha pipe at a London nightclub earlier this month. Wenger confirmed the player has accepted he made a mistake and added: “I don’t know well how everybody lives, but every professional player has to control his life and dedicate it to his game.”


By Dominic Fifield, Guardian