Wilshere Ruled Out

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ruled Jack Wilshere out of tonight’s Champions League encounter with Schalke after the midfielder played 90 minutes on Monday.

Wilshere continued his comeback from a 14 month injury lay-off on Monday as he started for Arsenal’s under-21 side in a 2-1 win over Everton.

The 20-year-old completed the 90 minutes and was showing signs of his best, being involved in both Gunners goals (you can watch highlights here), and some fans had hoped he could make a first team appearance on Wednesday night.

However, the boss has confirmed that while Wilshere needs playing time, the Schalke game will come too soon after his outing for the under-21’s, especially given the length of time he’s been out the game.

Wenger told Sky Sports:

“We are a little bit in a trap at the moment because he needs to play full games and of course, 48 hours later is too dangerous to play a player, or even put him on the bench, who has not played for such a long time.”

Wenger did however reveal that Jack, along with Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Frimpong, could make a return against QPR on Saturday.

“There is a chance.

“He had 90 minutes yesterday, Sagna had 90 minutes, Frimpong had 90 minutes. We’ll see how they recover.

While i’d love to see Wilshere back with the first team as soon as possible, it was always unlikely he’d be in contention for tonight’s game after playing on Monday afternoon.

Some fans are suggesting he could come off the bench (if needed), especially given how stagnant our midfield looked against Norwich, but after 14 months out there is no point taking risks with him. He needs time to recover after playing 90 minutes and an intense Champions League game just 48 hours later is too much to soon.

A return to the first team against QPR at the Emirates on Saturday is far more likely, and i can’t wait to see him back in action!

Are you excited by Wilshere’s return? Where do you see him fitting in? Get involved in the comments section.

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