Jack Wilshere played his first competitive game since pre season last year. I was at the game and watched him hobble off the pitch but I thought to myself that he doesn’t look too discomforted so he should be ok. How wrong I was. A couple of operations and setbacks later, he has started his recovery and of course we should urge caution. We have seen what a long injury can do to a young player like Aaron Ramsey and god forbid Abou Diaby who was only 19 when the despicable Dan Smith decided it would  be a clever thing to crash into his ankle for no reason. So we have to play the waiting game, look at what his

I have a little bit of time this afternoon for a change, so I thought I would blow the dust off the blogging keyboard, crack my knuckles and share a few thoughts with you guys, as long as you want to listen that is.

Ok, ok maybe the fact that Jack Wilshere was seen dropping his shoulders and skipping past opposition players with a brand spanking new number 10 shirt on his back has also influenced my actions today.

As I am sure you all know (shame on those who don’t) Jack Wilshere played his first competitive game since pre season last year. I was at the game and watched him hobble off the pitch but I thought to myself that he doesn’t look too discomforted so he should be ok. How wrong I was. A couple of operations and setbacks later, he has started his recovery and of course we should urge caution. We have seen what a long injury can do to a young player like Aaron Ramsey and god forbid Abou Diaby who was only 19 when the despicable Dan Smith decided it would  be a clever thing to crash into his ankle for no reason. So we have to play the waiting game, look at what his recovery is like after these under 21 games. See how many niggles he suffers after matches, if at any. Aaron Ramsey *fingers crossed* seems to have escaped the post injury niggles so we can only hope that is the case for Wilshere.

The difference with Wilshere’s injury compared to that of Eduardo, Ramsey and perhaps to a lesser extent Diaby is that there is a lot more pressure on the young Englishman to come back, rip open his shirt revealing a red S under his clothes, pick up the team and fly us to safety. Basically many people expect Wilshere to come back and be amongst the best in the league and that may well be a big ask immediately yet I totally understand why this is the case.

Jack Wilshere came into the team at 18 years of age due to a collection of injuries to other midfield players (hmmm sounds awfully familiar), Jack along with Frimpong had impressed in pre season and he got his chance but unlike many youngsters at such a high level, he hardly dipped. He just kept improving until it was quite clear that he couldn’t really be dropped and that is pretty much why he spent so long out injured. He may not have been ready physically for the amount of games he played. Unlike the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Jack is a tenacious so and so and flew into many a challenge over the course of the season. Not only that but he is a dribbler so he invited many tackles also. How many times did we witness Jack get clattered, hold a part of his leg before jumping up and running off his niggles. The season must have taken its toll.

Take a look at the following players, what do they have in common.

Carl Jenkinson
Per Mertesacker
Andre Santos
Mikel Arteta
Santi Cazorla
Lukas Podolski
Oliver Giroud
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Gervinho

A blue Peter badge sent to those who got it but for those who didn’t, those players listed have never played a competitive match for Arsenal alongside Jack Wilshere. That is 9 players all considered as first team squad members. That is nearly a whole team, pretty pointless bit of information but still quite interesting, well at least it is for me.

I am desperate to get out the old formation graphic and mess around with where Jack could play eventually but I am holding back, profusely sweating in a locked room, trying to avoid the temptation to click on photoshop. I am sad like that you see.

It was interesting that Wilshere had been asked to play as the creative midfielder yesterday. Playing almost behind the striker. We will have to wait and see what that means in his next few games. It could be to avoid the physical battle of the midfield or perhaps to prepare him for the first team. I don’t know what the answer is but as I say, we shall keep our eyes open.

I have as many body parts crossed as humanly possible that he can continue his fitness and sharpness without further setback.

From one Gooner to another. I am proper loving Carl Jenkinson this season. I found him very endearing in his first season, talking about how star struck he was and how much of a dream come true it is to be at Arsenal. We all relate to him as he is one of us, so much so that he was a season ticket holder before he signed for us. Imagine how much he now gets to save a year to watch the team. He also has a much better standing position.

This season though, Carl has been fantastic and I thought against Chelsea and indeed Manchester City that he was starting to show far more confidence in possession. The weight of pressure seems to be lifting and we are getting the benefits. I love Bacary Sagna and I am sure on top form, Sagna is still way ahead of Jenkinson but for me, I see no reason why Carl should be dropped from the team at least not immediately. He has yet to make a crucial mistake, he is improving and his stamina is unrivaled in our squad.

Anyway, that wasn’t supposed to be the Carl Jenkinson love in, I just got side tracked into it. I was supposed to talk about his recent comments about Arsenal winning the Champions League.

Jenko said: “If Chelsea can do it, then we can do it,” he told Arsenal Player. “There’s nothing stopping us going all the way.

“In this competition you’ve just got to take it game by game and just focus on it that way. I think that’s the best way to go about things.”

Too bloody right. If those lot can do it then why shouldn’t we. That said, I don’t see us getting that slice of luck that Chelsea managed for the latter part of the competition any time soon.

Back to the midfield area, with Diaby now out with a thigh injury the likes of Francis Coquelin may have to step up in the near future. It is easy to look at our midfield and think we are light in that area and for the short term we are. Diaby is injured, Wilshere is not ready for this level of football, Rosicky is a few weeks away and is yet to play this season and Emmanuel Frimpong is recovering from a long injury but is also not the finished product so our numbers currently are a tad worrying.

Oh by gee! I have just read that Mikel Arteta has an ankle injury so will miss Wednesday’s game. Bare bones I tell thee, bare bones. I hope this isn’t the season of the missing midfield. Last season’s film of the missing full back was rubbish, I am not up for the sequel.

In more positively exciting news, I shall build up yet another youngster. Serge Gnabry has been included in the squad for tomorrow. He looked impressive when he came on in the Capital One cup and I hear from ketchup close to the club that he has been ripping it up in training. Well I made that up but I am sure someone would have said that on twitter.

Could you see a situation where Arsene brings on Gnabry ahead of Walcott? It wouldn’t surprise me at all. Well that may well be the case until he just Sings da ting.

On that note, it is amazing how fast something can fly through the internet. @RoxyArms only made the song a few days ago and since then it has appeared on the Mirror, Daily Mail, Metro and RWD (Music magazine)

The power of the internet ey?

Anyway, I am off. Enjoy your Tuesday.