Wilshere still has a chance at Arsenal
JACK WILSHERE is back in Arsenal’s squad for tonight’s Europa League tie with Cologne despite having not played a minute of competitive football since breaking a leg in April while on loan at Bournemouth.
Amid rumours that new Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson is plotting a January move for the midfielder, Wilshere is set to make his first appearance for the Gunners in more than a year.
His current manager Arsene Wenger insisted the player could yet recapture the form that saw him touted for greatness at a young age, but also compared the psychological impact of injuries on footballers to motorists in a car crash.
‘Some come back like nothing happened to them, some are traumatised for their life,’ said Wenger, when asked about the effects of serious injuries.
‘It is like you have a car accident. Some don’t want to drive any more and some take the car and go on again. It depends on the personality of people.
‘The disadvantage for Jack is that he was out of the game for a long time but there are advantages as well.
‘Because he knows his body well, he has become very professional and learnt how much time it takes to get back to his best so he is more patient.
‘If he is injury-free, he will come back. It is coming back in training. Not completely at his best but getting there. He enjoys being back, competing for his place and what I see in training is positive.’
Wilshere’s contract expires next year and he was not inundated with offers during the summer when available for transfer, but Arsenal may well look to sell in January to make some money.
Wilshere was a key player for Hodgson during his reign as England manager and was selected 29 times. He has not played for his country since the defeat against Iceland at Euro 2016, although the chance to impress Gareth Southgate will provide extra motivation if chances arise in the Europa League.
Arsenal are on Europe’s undercard for the first time since 2000 when beaten on penalties by Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup final.
Seven first-team regulars — Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Alex Lacazette, Danny Welbeck, Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey — will not be involved against Cologne.
But it will be a strong and recognisable side with Olivier Giroud up front, searching for the goal he needs to reach 100 for Arsenal, and Alexis Sanchez set to start for the first time since his summer of unrest.
‘He is still a bit short of total fitness,’ said Wenger of Sanchez. ‘He has had a long holiday and then an injury, so he is like everybody else — he needs to practice and he needs competition.
‘The modern game does not tolerate, no matter how good you are, to be off your best fitness game. He is conscious of that and is working very hard. He is in the squad.