Wenger: I’m not giving up on Wilshere, he’s a fighter
JACK WILSHERE has not played a minute of competitive football since breaking his left leg in April and more than a year has passed since he last appeared for Arsenal — but he is back in the squad for the Europa League tonight.
Don’t try telling Wilshere the competition is a waste of time as he prepares for Cologne and Arsene Wenger compares the psychological impact of injuries on footballers to motorists in a car crash.
‘Some just come back like nothing happened to them, some are traumatised for their whole life,’ said Wenger. ‘ It depends on the personality of people.’
Wilshere, 25, has courage and strength of personality on his side and, although his career has been ravaged, his manager refuses to give up on the midfielder.
‘The disadvantage is that he was out of the game for a long time but there are advantages as well,’ said Wenger.
‘Because he knows his body well, he has become very professional and learned how much time it takes to get back to his best so he is more patient.’
Wenger is convinced Wilshere can repeat performances such as the one against Barcelona in February 2011 when, at the age of 19, he carried Arsenal’s fight with a display to fire the imagination.
‘You have seen the video of him when we played Barcelona,’ said the Arsenal boss. ‘His game is about that. He needs a little burst to get away from people because he can turn the game forward and if you can turn the game forward you need your legs to get you out of pressure.
‘It is coming back in training. He is hungry and sharp. 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. Like Wilshere’s, Arsenal’s stock has slumped since the days when they sparred with Barcelona. The Gunners 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 Alexis Sanchez (left), who missed out on a move to Manchester City, is set to start for the first time since his summer of unrest. ‘You can be destabilised when you don’t know where you belong,’ said Wenger. ‘I had a conversation but I did not have to raise his spirits at all. Before we even spoke he told me he was 100 per cent focused.’