Arsenal playmaker Jack Wilshere will not play until May due to his ankle injury, but the Gunners have shown that they can win without him.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will be out of action until May with an ankle problem.
Arsenal fans could be forgiven for feeling downcast at the news that Jack Wilshere’s right ankle injury will keep him out for longer than the three to four weeks initially thought.
The diminutive playmaker has been a revelation for the Gunners since his return from a fourteen month layoff after a similar problem on his left ankle, driving the team on with powerful running and incisive passing. Given the track record of the medical staff at Emirates Stadium, that pessimism doesn’t seem quite so misplaced.
However, in the two games since Wilshere’s injury was revealed to the public, Arsenal have gone on to demonstrate they are far from a one man team, with impressive 0-2 away victories against Bayern Munich and Swansea City.
The engine room of Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey behind Santi Cazorla is a good blend of tenacity, work rate and technique, and together with a better organised defensive unit, Arsenal seem much better equipped to reclaim their UEFA Champions League spot for next season.
If Wilshere is unable to play until May, perhaps Arsenal would be best playing his recovery safe, and not selecting him for the remainder of the season.
Still just 21, he could become a Gunners legend, but only if he is allowed to properly recuperate from his injuries.
Ruling him out for the rest of the season could be best in the long term for Arsenal – and Jack Wilshere.
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