As the days and weeks roll away in the lead-up to Euro 2012, all the worst news is coming at the wrong time for one of England’s brightest hopes. Jack Wilshere was told today he had suffered another stress fracture, this time in his right heel, which threatens to put him out of action for the rest of the season.
The remarkable saga that kicked off in June, following a small injury picked up in England’s friendly against Switzerland, has reached new levels of absurdity as the Arsenal midfielder’s agonising wait on the sidelines continues. Hopes of a return to action by the end of February have been dashed, with the earliest date back deemed to be April. Any later than this will surely be too late for the summer’s footballing showpiece.
Wilshere posted on his Twitter account: “I can confirm I have a stress fracture but it is not in the same area as my first injury which has healed very well which I am happy about.
“I have developed a stress fracture in the heel now and I do not want to put any time scale on it as I do not know how long it will take.”
Arsenal confirmed: “This is a recognised complication of a complex rehabilitation process and, of critical importance, Jack's initial injury is recovering well.”
Last Friday Gunners manager Arsene Wenger revealed Wilshere "felt pain again in his ankle" while running, and had arranged to see a specialist on Friday. “I am so sad that at that age you have to be out for such a long time with not any obvious reason,” Wenger said. “If you had told me that Jack would not have played one game by February, I would have said 'that is impossible'.
“We miss that little burst from Jack. Let's hope it goes well and we have good news from the specialists.”
The news is a bitter blow to Arsenal’s top four hopes, with the club in sixth place heading into tonight’s match away to Bolton. The team has been frequently criticised for relying too heavily on the form of striker Robin Van Persie, and the return of Wilshere would have seen the pressure ease on the Dutch maestro.
The emergence of another prodigious talent, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in recent weeks has been a well-timed boost to Arsenal’s depleted squad. The young winger gave a good showing of himself in the league defeat to Manchester United and the FA Cup win over Aston Villa, and has even been talked of as a potential England squad member for the Euros. Moreover he may threaten former bright hope Theo Walcott’s place in the first team when Ivory Coast winger Gervinho returns from the Africa Cup of Nations, should he continue to outshine his fellow compatriot.
England manager Fabio Capello must be thankful for the continuous stream of talent running from Arsenal’s youth ranks, as he seeks to bring in the next generation to succeed the team’s failed stars. Free from the trauma of past tournaments, stars such as Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain, as well as Manchester United’s Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck, would invigorate and ageing squad. Germany showed in South Africa the importance of youth integration, not just for the ability of the players but the competition this provides to established stars. Although John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, the seldom available first-choice defensive partnership for England, may be called back again if fit, the likes of Jones and centre-back Chris Smalling will provide fresh impetus and options.
The rise to fame for Wilshere began in 2008, when he scored his first goal for Arsenal in Carling Cup a win over Sheffield United, but really gathered pace throughout last season. The club’s most used player in the 2010-11 season, his performance in the first leg win over Barcelona in the Champions League second round earned him plaudits all over Europe. England’s bright hope was developing nicely.
By the time of that fateful match in June Wilshere was an undisputed member of the England first XI, and it was his burst into the box that led to England’s first goal when 2-0 down, a penalty by Frank Lampard. Indeed, it was the Chelsea man whose place was under most threat from the young gun. The niggle picked up by Wilshere in the same game, seemingly minor at the time, has ended up setting the tone for the 2011-12 season. Arsenal fans will be praying for an April comeback, but know the only confirmation will be the sight of him driving that midfield again as he did so often last year.
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