Wenger: Wilshere needs time to heal

Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere is out for an extended period of time, with manager Arsene Wenger saying in his pre-match
conference: “It’s bad luck, purely accidental. It’s a hairline crack in his fibula.

“It’s in the region where they took the screws off so I believe it’s a straightforward bone injury, which means there’s no surprise there.

“He just needs time to heal.”

Wilshere was reported to be out for six to eight weeks because of this injury. He has missed a lot of time during his short career with ankle injuries, and this is no exception, unfortunately. There is potentially a silver lining, as the manager said: “The news he got yesterday was that it could be much shorter than expected because he’s two weeks in a boot and then maybe after that he can practice straight away again.”

The fact that he could be right back in training soon is a bright spot for the team and the player, as this is seen as a make-or-break season for him and his development. Last season, a tackle from Manchester United centre back Paddy McNair put the Englishman out of action for round three months. He came back from that injury and then was injured three days later and was out for around five weeks.

Wenger also said: “You never get used to that. When you play football you never get used to your body letting you down.

“The positive thing in this injury is that it’s not a recurrence of one of his former injuries. The positive news with Jack is that the history doesn’t play a big part in his head when he comes back.”

The last part of this quote could also be a negative, contrary to what Wenger said. If Wilshere was a bit more cautious and patient on the field, he would not clatter into challenges and 50/50s which would put him on the treatment table for even more time, and it has happened many times before, like when he collided with Daniel Agger in an international friendly against Denmark, where he injured his ankle an additional time.

Wilshere is known to be a confident, aggressive, energetic player, and all traits could have contributed to his lengthy injury record. If Wenger is right in saying Wilshere could be back in around a month rather than 6-8 weeks, then the 23-year-old should be ready for his make-or-break” season, and will hopefully stay healthy and find great form he had last year which helped him to score two amazing goals for England vs Slovenia in the middle of June. If he can find durability and form, he will develop into a top-tier player, which he was said to have the ability to do by Wenger.

Wenger praised Wilshere’s mentality, saying: “He plays with the same confidence and desire as before. It’s difficult.

“We have all been at that age when you love to play football, and when you cannot get up in the morning and play it’s mentally difficult.”

He has been injured so many times, that the fact that he still is physical is a bit of a surprise to many supporters. Since he has fought through injuries and found prosperity on the field so many times before, do not be surprised if he does it once more. Only this time, him finding fitness for the rest of the season after he recovers from this set back is crucial not only to his club as a whole, but to the future and longevity of his career.

The question is, will Jack Wilshere find his fitness and become a star for Arsenal, or will he become another Abou Diaby?